An unexpected gift of fate
by cein
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson. Chapter 11 - Lawson is fit to return home, but what does this mean for his new found friendship? (final chapter posted)
1. An unexpected knock

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 01/?  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 2,500  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1 - An unexpected knock

* * *

Chief Superintendent Matthew Lawson was not feeling at his best. He had an aching head and an aching side and the smell of Davis's lunch was threatening to turn his stomach. He was pretty sure that it was all down to that scuffle he'd had earlier in the interview room with a burglary suspect who hadn't taken kindly to his line of questioning. Reilly, a small time crook with a big time temper had gone for him and managed to get in a few good punches before he'd been subdued. "But at least I wiped the floor with that little bastard," thought Lawson, with some satisfaction. The man was a good deal younger than him, but what Lawson had lacked in youth, he'd made up for with experience and Reilly would be thinking twice before raising his hand against any member of the police for the foreseeable future.

"Of course Blake had had to be called in to examine the prisoner," thought Lawson, rubbing his side as he wrote up his report of the incident. According to Davis, the doc had been pretty unimpressed at having to be called in to tend to yet another prisoner who'd 'had an accident'.

"Lawson!"

Lawson didn't look up from his work as he heard Blake coming into the room.

"This has got to stop," said Blake, pacing up and down in front of the Superintendent's desk. "There is no call for prisoners to be beaten up like that while in your custody. It's going too far..." His voice trailed off as Lawson raised his head and looked at him. "Bloody hell, Matthew, what happened to you?"

"You should see the other bloke," said Lawson, "Oh wait, you just did."

"What, Reilly gave you that bruise? *You* were the one who beat him up?"

Lawson shrugged, "Self defence. Bloke took a swing at me, I put him down. End of story. Now if you could climb down off your high horse long enough, I'd appreciate it if you would write up your report on the matter and leave it on my desk." Lawson turned his attention back to the report on his desk. He looked up a few seconds later to see Blake watching him carefully. "What?"

"I should probably give you a once over," said Blake, slowly. "That is a nasty looking bruise you have there. And the way you're sitting so stiffly, my guess is that he got you in the ribs as well."

"I'm busy," said Lawson. He corrected a turn of phrase on the report and then looked up to see Blake watching him. "Look, I took a knock and picked myself up. I don't need a doctor to tell me it's going to hurt. Anyway, I need to get this paperwork finished so if you don't mind..."

"Actually Boss," said Charlie, "It might not be a bad idea to have the Doc check you over."

Lawson glared at him but Charlie continued, "I mean we are holding Reilly on a charge of 'assault on a police officer'. It'd be no harm to have an official report from the police surgeon to confirm the damage he did."

"Good thinking, Davis," said Lawson approvingly. He replaced the lid on his pen and threw it on the table. "Come on then, let's make it quick. Uniforms are searching Reilly's place for stolen goods and once they're back I'll likely be adding to his charges."

Blake was feeling somewhat chagrined as he followed Lawson to the interview room where it was clear that some sort of altercation had taken place. Blake watched as Lawson stooped to pick up an overturned chair, wincing as he straightened up.

"We had a box of medals we'd found on Reilly," said Lawson, sitting on the table as Blake shone a small torch in his eyes. "Reilly claimed they'd belonged to his father but they matched a set reported stolen a few weeks back. I was standing behind him. Guess he didn't like my line of questioning because he grabbed the box and belted me in the face with it."

"How many times?" Blake started applying a gentle pressure to Lawson's cheekbones.

"Once, no twice," said Lawson. "Ouch! Watch it there." He winced as Blake touched a tender spot.

"Well it doesn't seem like there's anything broken here. If you apply a cold compress at regular intervals, that should reduce the swelling a bit." Blake took Lawson's hands. "Ah, I see he damaged your knuckles with his face. Is that when his tooth got knocked out?"

Lawson pulled his hands away. "In case you've forgotten, *he* attacked me. He belted me in the face and then elbowed me in the ribs when I tried to subdue him. He's lucky he only lost a tooth. Now if you've quite finished..." He started to stand but Blake's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Blake sighed, "Forgive me, Matthew. Let me just take a quick look at those ribs of yours."

Lawson sighed and unbuttoned his shirt.

"Very nasty looking," said Blake as he felt around the bruised area. "But I believe it's just bruising. Did he catch you anywhere else? No? Okay, that'll hurt for a few days, but I'll write you a script for the pain. Take it easy today, maybe go home early." There was a snort of amusement from Lawson as he rearranged his clothing. "And call me if it gets any worse." Blake closed his bag and headed for the door. "Oh and Matthew,"

"What?"

"Next time let Charlie subdue any unruly prisoners...you're not getting any younger you know!"

"Oy!" said Lawson indignantly. "Just write up that damn report!"

* * *

Several hours later, Lawson's temper hadn't improved. The search of Reilly's home hadn't turned up anything out of the ordinary which meant that they could only add one count of 'possession of stolen property' to the count of 'assault on a police officer'.

"Reilly's behind half the burglaries in the district," said Lawson, reading through the report of the search. "Where the hell is he stashing the stolen goods?"

"Maybe he's sold them all," said Charlie. "Finney the pawnbroker could have been lying when he said Reilly only tried to sell him the medals."

Lawson shook his head. "Finney's a tight fisted bastard, but he's honest. Well, more honest than Reilly anyway. If he said Reilly hasn't brought him anything else, I'm inclined to believe him." He stood and walked around the desk, grimacing slightly at the ache in his side.

"Sir," said Charlie, "If you don't mind me asking, are you feeling all right? It's just you're looking a bit crook. Maybe I should call the doc back in."

"Maybe you should mind your own business," snapped Lawson. "Get back over to Finney's shop. Check his records for the last three months. Just because Reilly didn't bring the goods in, doesn't mean he didn't get somebody else to do his dirty work for him."

"Yes sir," said Charlie, beating a hasty retreat.

Lawson waited until he was alone in the office before sitting down heavily in his chair, rubbing his side. Loathe though he was to admit it, he had to concede to himself that Davis may have had a point. "If I look half as bad as I feel, no wonder he commented on it." Blake's suggestion of leaving work early was looking more and more tempting, but it was the last thing he needed, professionally speaking.

Damn that Reilly. The last thing Lawson needed right now was to have to take time off work. It had been three months since the Special Branch Committee had allowed him to resume his position and ever since then he felt like somebody was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting for him to slip up. Thanks to good Union representation, they hadn't been able to pin anything on him this time, and he wasn't about to give them any excuse to summon him before them again. No, he'd finish up Reilly's paperwork and all the other paperwork on his desk and call it a night. "A good night's rest and I'll be back on form in the morning," Lawson told himself as he got back to work.

* * *

Lawson was feeling even more under the weather when he finally stamped the last of the paperwork and put it in the file. The pain in his side felt like it was getting worse instead of better and even though it had been a long time since his lunch, the thought of food nearly turned his stomach. Lawson checked his watch and was surprised to see the time. He groaned under his breath as he realised it was now too late to fill the prescription Blake had given him. "Not too late to call round to Blake though," he thought as he stood and buttoned his uniform tunic. "He may have something to hand. And I can give him a boot up the arse about that bloody report as well." He swept the remains of his unfinished meal into the wastebasket and switched off the light before leaving.

* * *

Mattie O'Brien closed her book with a thump. "And that is enough studying for one night," she said out loud. Glancing at the clock, she quickly tidied away her books and study materials before heading to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

She looked at her watch while waiting for the kettle to boil. It was unusual to be alone in the house at this time of night, and not a little unsettling, but the others would be home soon. The sudden knocking at the front door startled her and she nearly dropped the cup she'd been holding.

The door to Lucien's study was open and Mattie glanced quickly through the window to see who was at the door before she opened it. "Oh no," she said under her breath. "Not him!"

(A few hours earlier)  
"So of course I go in there like a bull in a china shop," said Blake as he took the serving bowl from Jean and put it on the table, "Ready to tear a strip off Lawson for letting his men get out of hand *again* and then it turns out that *he* was the one throwing punches."

"But that's terrible," said Mattie, helping herself to some vegetables. "He should be setting an example for his men. A good example that is, and not showing them the way to assault prisoners!"

"Well Bobby Reilly is a nasty piece of work," said Jean, as she cut her meat into pieces. "Everybody knew he used to bash his wife around before she took their kid and left him. I can well believe he took a swing at Matthew as well. If you ask me, he got off lightly."

"That still doesn't give the Superintendent the right to injure him that badly."

"Well maybe next time he'll think twice before assaulting a police officer," said Jean. To Lucien she added "And how is Matthew?"

"He has a few bruised ribs, and took a nasty smack in the face," said Blake. "Mmm, that gravy is very tasty Jean." He took another mouthful of his dinner before continuing. "Anyway, I prescribed him some painkillers, told him to take things easy. But he should be fine in a day or so."

"And how is Reilly?" asked Mattie, drawing a sharp look from Jean.

"In fairness Mattie," said Blake, "He did come off comparatively lightly. True he lost a tooth, but judging by the bruising on his knuckles, not to mention Lawson's face, Reilly was certainly no innocent bystander in all of this. No, I have to admit that there appears to have been justification on Matthew's part."

"This time at least," said Mattie, under her breath. The conversation moved on to the movie that Jean and Blake were planning to see.

"Mattie, you're more than welcome to join us," said Blake later as he helped Jean into her coat.

Mattie caught Jean's eye and stifled a smile at the look on her face. "No, I'm fine. I really need to get a few hours studying in tonight. Have fun the two of you, and I won't wait up." She winked at Jean before closing the door behind the pair and heading for her room.

* * *

Forcing a smile on her face, Mattie opened the door. "Superintendent Lawson," she said.

"Good evening, Miss O'Brien," said Lawson. "I was looking to have a word with Blake."

"He's not here," said Mattie, "He and Jean have gone to the movies."

"What?" said Lawson, momentarily distracted from his aching side, "You mean like on a date?"

"Well they're not exactly calling it that, they keep insisting it's just two friends enjoying an evening together."

Lawson snorted in disbelief and then collected himself, "Well I won't keep you then." He turned away and was about to leave when Mattie called after him.

"Superintendent," said Mattie, "I'm sure they won't be too long. Would you like to come in, have some tea and wait for him?" Mattie wasn't really sure what impulse had driven her to call after Lawson, but she couldn't take it back. "I've just put the kettle on."

"Thank you, Miss O'Brien," said Lawson as he followed her into the kitchen. He sat down heavily at the kitchen table, stifling a groan. Mattie had her back to the table as she gathered cups and saucers and didn't notice the flash of pain on his face.

The tea made, Mattie sat down opposite Lawson and sipped her tea as she tried to think of a suitable conversation starter. After all, 'Beaten up any prisoners lately' wasn't really much of an ice breaker.

"That bruise looks nasty," said Mattie, finally. "Would you like a cold compress for it?"

"I'm fine," said Lawson. He sipped his tea but had no taste for it. Glancing at Mattie, he saw her bite her lip as if holding something back. "You got something to say about how I got it?"

"I just think it's wrong for policemen to be going around beating up on people. Especially when they're your prisoners."

"Technically, he wasn't a prisoner," said Lawson. "Well, not until we charged him with assault on a police officer. He was just helping us with our enquiries until he took a swing at me."

"And I suppose you didn't provoke him into it?" said Mattie.

"Not my fault if the man can't keep his temper."

"No, but maybe it *is* your fault if you bully him until he lashes out!"

Lawson put his cup down on the table with a bang. "I think Miss O'Brien that I won't wait to see Blake. Tell him that I want his report on my desk first thing." Lawson stood quickly, too quickly. A sharp flash of pain lanced through his abdomen and he clutched at his side. The room felt like it was spinning around him as he slumped to the ground.

* * *

to be continued


	2. A sudden affliction

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 02  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 1,800  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Chapter 2 – A sudden affliction

Previously: Lawson was attacked by a suspect during an interview. Mattie was home alone when Lawson showed up looking for Blake and later collapsed in front of her.

* * *

Lawson found himself on his hands and knees with a wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm him. "Feel...sick..." he managed to moan. He felt rather than saw a movement beside him and the next thing he knew, a basin had been thrust in front of him, just in time to catch what little food he'd managed to eat earlier that day. A gentle hand rubbed his back as the spasms shot through him. It felt like an eternity but could only have been a few minutes until his stomach emptied. Lawson's ribs were aching from the exertion as he tried to catch his breath between spasms. Finally, when there was nothing left to come up, he slumped back into a seated position on the floor, eyes closed as he leaned back against the wall.  
The sensation of something cold wiping across his face made him open his eyes and he saw Mattie crouched in front of him, dabbing at him with a damp cloth.

* * *

"No, but maybe it *is* your fault if you bully him until he lashes out!" said Mattie.

Lawson put his cup down on the table with a bang. "I think Miss O'Brien that I won't wait to see Blake. Tell him that I want his report on my desk first thing."

Mattie watched as Lawson stood up quickly. Then before her eyes, his face paled and he clutched at his side, before slumping to the ground.

"Superintendent!" Mattie rushed to Lawson's side.

"Feel...sick," he muttered. Mattie's nursing training kicked in automatically and she grabbed a basin from the sink, just as Lawson was no longer able to hold back his nausea. "It's okay, let it out," she said, rubbing his back reassuringly. "It'll be okay."

Once it looked like he had nothing left to throw up, Mattie eased Lawson back against the wall. She quickly ran a cloth under the tap, before dabbing it on his face and mouth.

"Thank you," said Lawson, weakly. He took a deep breath and then groaned as pain shot through him.

"Where does it hurt?" asked Mattie, quickly.

"All over," said Lawson, gesturing vaguely at his stomach.

"Let me take a look," said Mattie, reaching for the buttons of his tunic, but he brushed her away. "Superintendent, I *am* a trained nurse. Believe me; you've got nothing I haven't seen before!"

Lawson was in too much pain to argue with her and made no further resistance as she unbuttoned his tunic and shirt and then pulled up his vest. He heard her sharp intake of breath as the bruising on his ribs was revealed. Then it was his turn to suck in his breath sharply as she gently probed the bruises.

"Sorry," said Mattie, frowning as she felt around the bruised area. Although clearly tender, there was nothing to indicate anything more serious than the bruising already diagnosed by Lucien. There was no other bruising evident, but Mattie continued her examination. She moved further down Lawson's body, applying a gentle pressure over the stomach and then down to the abdomen. Pressing against his lower right abdomen elicited a gasp of pain and she looked up at Lawson. "It's worst here?"

There was a brief nod from Lawson, followed by an involuntary cry of pain as Mattie removed her hand.  
"Okay," said Mattie, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay." She pulled down Lawson's vest, and tidied his clothing. "Give me your car keys."

"What?" It was taking all of Lawson's focus to not pass out from the pain.

"Car keys," repeated Mattie. "I'm taking you to the hospital. I may not be a doctor, but I've seen enough cases of appendicitis to recognize the signs. Keys, *now*!"

Lawson started to protest, but Mattie's tone of voice and the expression on her face brooked no argument. He fumbled in his pocket for the keys and held them out with a shaking hand. As Mattie reached for them, Lawson closed his hand around hers. "Thank you, Miss O'Brien," he said so softly that Mattie could barely hear him.

Mattie smiled reassuringly as she took the keys, "It'll be okay. Once we get you to the hospital, the surgeons will whip out your appendix and you'll be right as rain." Inwardly however, Mattie was considerably less certain. She had indeed seen a lot of cases of appendicitis, but unfortunately she had also seen a few where the patient had not been treated in a timely fashion. She didn't want to think about that outcome. "Maybe it isn't even appendicitis," she thought as she slid her arm around Lawson and helped him to his feet. "Maybe it's something even worse." Pushing the thought from her mind, she guided him through the house to the front door. Whatever was wrong with him, the important thing was to get him to the hospital as soon as she could.

"Nearly there," said Mattie as she sat Lawson into the passenger seat. "I'm just going to lock up and then we'll be off."

Lawson grunted an acknowledgment, not trusting himself to open his mouth without groaning in pain. He closed his eyes as Mattie ran back to the house, only opening them a few minutes later when she sat in behind the wheel and handed him the now cleaned basin.

"Just in case," said Mattie, as she slid the keys into the ignition.

"Your driving that bad, is it?" Lawson forced a smile on his face.

"Any more comments like that, and I'll make you walk!"

* * *

It wasn't an easy journey. Mattie wasn't a bad driver, but she wasn't accustomed to Lawson's car. She was torn between wanting to get Lawson to the hospital as fast as she could but also trying to ensure as smooth a ride as possible, to avoid causing him any more pain. She kept glancing over at her passenger, hoping that his condition wasn't deteriorating. Finally after a journey that seemed twice as long as normal, she pulled up in front of the hospital building.

Mattie switched off the engine and turned to Lawson who was still clutching the basin tightly. "Superintendent, can you hear me?" She waited until he turned to look at her. "I'm just going to get a wheelchair, or somebody to help. I'll only be a few minutes."

"No...don't go..." Lawson was even paler than he had been when they'd set off on their journey. "I can walk..."

Mattie wasn't really sure about that, but time was of the essence and in all honesty, she really didn't think Lawson should be left alone. "It's okay, I'll stay with you," she said reassuringly.

* * *

"I need some help here," Mattie called out as she helped Lawson down the corridor. He'd insisted that he could walk, but had ended up leaning heavily on Mattie for support.

"What's happened?"  
Mattie almost cried with relief as she saw Doctor Miller approach.

"He collapsed, maybe half an hour ago," said Mattie as she and Miller helped Lawson onto a trolley. "I think it could be appendicitis."

"I'll be the judge of that, Nurse O'Brien," said Miller as they pushed the trolley towards the treatment room.

Lawson groaned loudly as they transferred him onto the bed. He could feel hands on him, unbuttoning his clothing. An oxygen mask was slipped over his face and a light was shone in his eyes. People kept asking him questions, and he tried to answer, but the pain was getting worse and he could barely speak.

"Mr. Lawson, can you hear me?" Miller pulled out his stethoscope. "I'm just going to examine you. Can you tell me where it hurts?" He watched as Lawson gestured weakly towards his abdomen. "Okay, just lie still..."

Mattie was taking Lawson's pulse as Miller examined him. As he pressed on the abdomen and released it, Lawson cried out in pain and grabbed Mattie's hand, squeezing it tightly. "It's okay, Superintendent," said Mattie gently. "It's okay. Just a little longer, the doctor's almost finished."

Miller caught Mattie's eye and nodded quickly, "Keep him calm," he said softly. In a louder tone, he spoke to Lawson, "I can see you have significant bruising around your ribs. Are you taking any medications for it?"

"Doctor Blake prescribed him some codeine earlier today," said Mattie, still holding Lawson's hand.

"Didn't...didn't take any," gasped Lawson. "Too...too busy..."

"Well we'll soon fix you up with something stronger," said Miller. To the night nurse he said, "Have the OR opened up and get the on call surgeon." Turning back to Lawson he said, "Mr. Lawson, it looks like Nurse O'Brien got you here just in time. We're going to bring you in to theatre and whip out your appendix, and believe me; you don't want it sticking around in there. Don't worry; you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Miller's words may have reassured his patient somewhat, but Mattie could tell from the expression on his face that it wasn't going to be quite as straightforward as he made out. But she forced a smile on her face as she squeezed Lawson's hand. "See, told you. A few hours, you'll be tucked up in bed, sleeping like a baby, no more pain."

With his free hand, Lawson pulled away the oxygen mask and whispered, "Thank...you..." to Mattie. His eyes closed, and Mattie gave his hand one last squeeze before the on duty nurse and a porter wheeled him toward pre-op.

"Good call, Nurse," said Miller, replacing his stethoscope around his neck. "Classic appy, let's just hope Mr. Henry can get it out before it pops." He walked away, leaving Mattie standing there.

The on duty nurses quickly tidied up the treatment room and in a matter of minutes, the only sign that Lawson had even been there, was his uniform tunic which they'd handed to Mattie while they worked.

"Nurse O'Brien?"

Mattie turned to see the duty Sister approach. "Sister Harris."

"Doctor Miller told me what happened. It looks like you did well to get the Superintendent here on time." Harris took Mattie by the arm and guided her back to the nurse's station. "But you should probably go home now. It'll be a few hours before he's back on a ward, and he won't be any condition to receive visitors before morning."

Mattie shook her head, "If it's all right with you, I'd like to stay. I...somebody should be here for him when he wakes up."

"I understand. I'll keep you updated on the surgery," said Harris. "Now, is there anybody you'd like me to contact?"

"No, that is, there is, but I should make the call." She looked at her watch. Lucien and Jean should surely be home from the pictures by now. "Thank you Sister."

* * *

To be continued


	3. A nasty surprise

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 03/?  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 1,400  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously: Lawson was attacked by a suspect during an interview. Mattie was home alone when Lawson showed up looking for Blake and later collapsed in front of her. Mattie rushed him to the hospital where he was rushed to surgery.

[3]

Jean stopped as they came to the doorway and turned around to face Blake. "You know, if this had been a date, right about now is where I'd be wondering if you were thinking about kissing me."

It hadn't been a date of course; Jean had made that quite clear to Blake when he'd suggested accompanying her to the picture house. She had been supposed to go with one of the members of her sewing circle, but Camilla had had to cancel, and Jean, hadn't felt like going alone...again. Blake had offered his company for the evening and promised to behave like a perfect gentleman. Jean, wanting to see South Pacific, had gratefully accepted, but insisted that it was just as friends, "Two friends...enjoying a friendly evening together." But now after the music and the movie and the novelty of Lucien's companionship when he wasn't talking about mystery and murder, she was beginning to think that maybe she shouldn't have been so insistent after all.

"And if this was a date," said Blake, "Right about now is where I'd wondering whether or not I'd get my face slapped if I tried kissing you."

Jean held his gaze for a few seconds. "I thought you liked to live dangerously." She watched as Lucien slowly leaned in towards her, slowly enough that she could have stepped back had she wanted to. Her eyes half closed as his lips brushed against hers, briefly, more like a caress from his lips than an actual kiss, and then he pulled away.

Blake saw the smile on Jean's face as he pulled away. If truth were to be told, he'd been thinking about kissing Jean for a long time now. Ever since that moment they'd shared a few months earlier, just after her son had left town again. Back then though, it would have been the wrong moment. What Jean had needed then was a shoulder to cry on, somebody to support her as her world had crumbled. What she hadn't needed was the added complications of a shifting relationship between them. Thinking about the incident later, Blake was almost relieved that the telephone had rung when it did, saving him taking advantage of Jean's vulnerability at the time. But now things were on a more even keel, Jean – while still missing Jack – was getting on with her life, and kissing her now would be a conscious act on both their parts, something they both wanted. Blake leaned in again, intending to make it a proper kiss this time, but when he was still inches away; the sound of the telephone broke the silence of the night.

Jean quickly pulled away and started rummaging in her handbag for the house keys.

Blake put his hand on Jean's, stopping her search, "Mattie can get it."

"Mattie is supposed to be studying," said Jean, but she didn't pull her hand away. Without realising it, her fingers entwined with Lucien's. Blake raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it before releasing her. Jean's hand was shaking as she resumed her search for the keys and it took her a few attempts before she was able to open the door.

Blake hurried to the phone and picked it up, just as it stopped ringing. "Oh well," he said, with a rueful smile. "If it's important, I'm sure they'll try again in a few minutes."

"Strange that Mattie didn't get to it," said Jean.

"Maybe she was too busy studying and didn't hear it," said Blake. "Come on, I'll put the kettle on."

"That girl works too hard," said Jean. "I'm going to go and insist she join us for a spot of tea." It wasn't just Mattie's well being that was Jean's concern. Her heart was still pounding after Blake's kiss and she wanted some time to compose herself before having to deal with the situation.

Blake went into the kitchen and frowned as he saw the unfinished cups of tea on the table. "Odd," he thought as he carried them to the sink. "Mattie usually cleans up after herself."

"Lucien!" Jean's voice cut through his thoughts as he filled the kettle under the tap. Blake turned as Jean came running into the kitchen. "Lucien, Mattie's not in her room. Her light is on but there's no sign of her!"

They quickly checked the rest of the house but found no sign of Mattie.

"You don't think something happened to her?" said Jean. "Her coat isn't in the hall, maybe she just went out for some air."

"There were two cups of tea on the table," said Blake, slowly. "She must have let somebody in." He wrinkled his nose, "And there's a smell...as if somebody's been sick..."

Before Jean could reply, the phone started ringing again. "Maybe that's her," said Blake, hurrying to the hallway. "Hello, Doctor Blake speaking."  
"Mattie! Just the person, we just got home and were worried something had happened. Are you all right?"  
"Mattie, what's happened?"  
Jean watched the colour drain from Blake's face as he listened to Mattie. "Lucien? What's wrong?"

"Mattie, we'll be right there. You just stay where you are." Blake's hands were shaking as he replaced the handset.

"Lucien? Is Mattie all right? Where is she?"

"Mattie is at the hospital," said Blake. "She's fine...it...it's Matthew..."

* * *

Mattie was sitting in the corridor, clutching Lawson's tunic tightly, when she heard her name being called. Looking up, she saw Lucien and Jean hurrying towards her. "Lucien!" she said, jumping to her feet as they approached. "I'm so glad you're here...I was so worried..."

"It's all right, we're here now," said Blake. He put his arms around her and hugged her gently, "And there's no need to be worried. An appendectomy, it's a straightforward operation. I'm sure Matthew will up and about in no time."

Mattie pulled away, "But that's just it. Sister Harris spoke to me after I'd called you. She said...she said that the surgery was going to take longer than expected. He...the appendix had perforated before they managed to remove it."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Blake. Jean looked puzzled, "Perforated, what does that mean?"

"It means," said Blake slowly, "That the appendix burst. All the toxins that were building up in an enclosed space and causing the pain, they've ended up swilling around Matthew's abdomen. He's looking at peritonitis, possible infection, abscesses." He sat down heavily on the chair beside Mattie's.

"Oh dear Lord," said Jean. "But...but he will be all right, won't he?"

"They'll clean it out as best they can in theatre; put him on strong doses of antibiotics to clear up the infection. But honestly, there are no guarantees."

* * *

"This is all my fault," said Blake, as the three of them sat waiting in the hospital corridor.

"You can't blame yourself, Lucien," said Jean.

"Jean, I examined him only today and I completely missed it. If I'd done my job properly, Henry could have had Matthew under the knife in a matter of hours, and by now he'd be tucking into his supper and complaining about the amount of paperwork he'd have to do once he was back on duty."

"I should have noticed he was ill," said Mattie, gloomily. "I thought he was looking a bit under the weather when he came to the door and I almost let him leave. I didn't even ask him how he was after the fight." She bit her lip, embarrassed at the memory of how rude she'd been to Lawson.

"Stop it the pair of you," snapped Jean. The other two looked at her in surprise. "Matthew Lawson is a grown man. If he didn't tell you, tell either of you that he was feeling so ill, that's his own fault, the stupid stupid man! He would have had symptoms for at least a few days, wouldn't he?"

They both nodded. "More than likely, yes," said Blake.

"Well then, he should have said something earlier," said Jean, firmly. "He should have asked for your help."

But that was Matthew Lawson all over, thought Blake as Jean fell silent. "From the time we were kids, he always hid his pain, insisted on fighting his own battles. He never told me McEvoy had been bullying him. He always tries to protect his friends. I just wish I was more deserving of it." Lost in thought, he didn't realise that somebody was approaching them until Jean nudged him in the side and he looked up to see Mr. Henry standing before them.

* * *

To be continued


	4. Lucien's vigil

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 4/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 1,700  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson collapsed in front of Mattie. Mattie rushed him to the hospital where he was operated on for acute appendicitis. Blake and Jean later joined her to sit and wait for news on Lawson's condition.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Lucien's vigil

Alexander Henry was arrogant, somewhat patronizing and had a clear sense of his own importance. He was typical of many of the surgeons that Blake had come across both during his training and his medical career. However, by all accounts, he was also a damned good surgeon and Blake knew that his friend had been lucky to end up under Henry's knife.

For once in his life, Blake resisted his natural inclination to puncture pomposity and simply listened as Henry updated them on Lawson's condition.  
"He's still in a serious condition," said Henry, "And we will be keeping a close eye on him, but I don't anticipate any major complications."

"Thank you, Mr. Henry," said Jean. "We're very grateful to you. May we see Matthew now?"

"It's way past visiting hours, Mrs Beazley," said Henry, "And he'll be fairly out of it for some time. But, speak to Sister Harris; she's in charge of the wards."

* * *

In spite of their efforts and Sister Harris's goodwill, she refused to allow them all onto the ward. "My patient needs his rest. What he doesn't need is a group of people disturbing him after he's been through a major surgery." As a concession however, she agreed that Blake, as the patient's physician, would be allowed a short visit.

"Jean," said Blake, "You take Mattie with you in Lawson's car. I'll sit with him for a bit and then follow you home." He glanced over to where Mattie was still sitting down, "Maybe give her a shot of brandy when you get her home. I think she could do with it."

Jean nodded, "You'll let us know...if anything changes...and do tell Matthew we were asking for him."

"Of course, but like Henry said, he'll probably be out of it until morning."

* * *

Several hours later, Blake was still sitting by Lawson's bedside. The night nurses came in regularly, keeping a watchful eye on Lawson's condition throughout the night. Each time, Blake made himself as unobtrusive as possible, hoping that nobody would remember that he'd only been supposed to make a 'short' visit. Blake knew that he should go home; he knew that Matthew was being well looked after, he knew that his presence was completely unnecessary to Matthew's health and recovery, and that it was unlikely that he would even wake up before morning. But yet Blake stayed, berating himself silently for his failure as a doctor to correctly diagnose his friend's condition.  
"If only I'd given him a thorough examination," thought Blake. "If only I'd noticed he was under the weather before this. If only I'd stayed at home tonight. Thank heavens for Mattie." A chill went down his spine as he thought of what could have happened had she let Lawson drive home. "He could have collapsed at home, not been found until morning...he might not have even made it home in the first place."

A noise from the doorway made Blake look up and he saw Sister Harris, tutting disapprovingly as she made her way into the room. "Doctor Blake," she chided him gently. "I thought you'd left hours ago." She stood by the bedside and took Lawson's pulse. "You'll do Mr. Lawson no good sitting there moping."

"But I won't do him any harm," said Blake, somewhat meekly. "At least no more than I've already done."

"Self pity won't help either of you." Harris finished her clinical observations and added them to Lawson's chart. "Well, you're clearly not disturbing my patient and the nurses haven't complained about you, so you're obviously staying well out of their way. Just this once, I won't call the night porter to escort you off the premises."

"Thank you, Sister Harris," said Blake. "I do appreciate it."

"Just remember that in spite of what many members the medical profession think, you're not God and you're not infallible. We all make mistakes, but what defines us is how we deal with them afterwards."

* * *

In spite of Harris's kind words, and the blanket she had one of her nurses bring to him, Blake didn't get much rest over the following few hours. He kept a watchful eye on Lawson, jumping at any sound or movement that might indicate that his friend was waking up. Blake almost envied Lawson his peaceful slumber. Lying there on the bed, Lawson looked so calm, so peaceful. If it hadn't been for the I.V. line in his arm and the bruising on his face, it would have been hard to tell that anything was wrong with him.

Dawn was breaking over Ballarat and Sister Harris was making her final rounds of the shift when Blake decided that he should leave.

"I wish I could stay," said Blake as he pulled on his jacket, "But I've a surgery scheduled for this morning and patients with appointments."

"Don't worry, Doctor. We'll look after him," said Harris, "And I'll have the day Sister contact you if there's any news."

"Thank you," said Blake as he carefully folded the blanket on the chair. He was just about to put on his coat when he heard a low groan coming from the bed. "Matthew!"

Lawson's eyes flickered open, a look of confusion on his face.

"Matthew, how are you feeling?" asked Blake.

Lawson groaned, "Feel...sick..." He started to cough.

Blake quickly slid an arm around Lawson's shoulders and helped him sit up. Harris held a basin in front of Lawson as he heaved. "Easy there, Matthew," said Blake, holding him steady. There wasn't a lot to come up, but Lawson retched so violently that Blake was afraid he'd tear his stitches. Finally the spasm passed and Lawson slumped back against Blake's arm, eyes closed and shaking slightly.

Harris poured a glass of water and held it to Lawson's mouth, "Sip it," she ordered Lawson, "Slowly." He managed to take a few mouthfuls before pushing the glass away weakly.

Blake gently lowered Lawson back down to the bed. "Well, I've had some interesting greetings in my time, but I believe this is the first occasion that I've actually made somebody sick!"

Lawson smiled weakly, "Blake," he mumbled, "You...you look like hell..."

"You don't look all that good yourself," said Blake. "Apart from the obvious nausea, how are you feeling, Matthew?"

Lawson shrugged, then grimaced in pain, "Hurts...like...like somebody chopped me open...didn't finish putting me back together..." He shifted restlessly on the bed and moaned softly.

"We can give you something for the pain if you want," said Sister Harris. At Lawson's weak nod of reply, she said, "I'll just get Doctor Miller." Patting Lawson on the hand, she added, "I'll be back in a few minutes, Mister Lawson."

Blake waited until the door closed behind Harris before speaking again. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"It's a bit hazy... went to your place...you weren't there..." Lawson frowned, "Mattie O'Brien let me in...reckon I gave her a bit of a shock, collapsing like that in front of her."

"She was a bit shaken up," said Blake, "But you know, she wasn't the only one. For a while last night...you had us all worried, Matthew." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Forgive me, Matthew. Your condition, I should have picked up on it when I examined you properly. I gave you a hard time, undeservedly. But I was annoyed with you over what happened with Reilly, and maybe I let that distract me from treating you."

"That's part of your job, Blake," said Lawson. "You see me crossing a line, you've got every right, no, you've got the duty to call me on it, regardless of our friendship. As for the rest," he gestured towards his abdomen, "I should have said something sooner. I was just too bloody minded to call you when it started hurting badly, but that's on me, not on you."

"You must have been feeling crook for while," said Blake. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"A few days," admitted Lawson. He plucked idly at the bedclothes, not looking at Blake. "Thought I'd pulled a muscle or something. Figured it'd clear up if I took things easy for a bit."

"But you didn't exactly take things easy, did you?"

Lawson shrugged, then grimaced in pain, "Too much to do."

"Well you'll have to take things easy for while now. Spread the load a bit. You recommended Charlie for a promotion for a reason. Get him to do some of the heavy lifting...figuratively speaking."

Lawson sighed, "Better get him in here then. I'll need to brief him on what he'll need to know while he's in charge the next few days."

"You mean until Melbourne send somebody down?" said Blake.

Lawson looked puzzled, "Melbourne, what the hell do they have to do with it?"

"Matthew," said Blake, as gently as he could. "I don't want to worry you unduly, but you've been seriously ill. It's going to be longer than just 'a few days' before you'll be fit to go back to work. Charlie is a good copper, but he's just a Sergeant. There'll need to be somebody more senior in place until you're back."

"Longer...how...how much longer?"

"Three weeks, maybe four...at the very least." Blake saw Lawson's face fall and he continued quickly, "But you won't be kept in hospital for that long. A week, ten days at most, and then a few weeks convalescence. And I insist that you stay at my place. That way I'll know you're being looked after properly."

"You gonna clear that with Jean first?"

"Oh she'll be delighted to have you there. Although she'll probably read you the riot act for neglecting your health like this!"

"Save you having to do it, I guess." Lawson rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Just too much to do these days. All the paperwork...trying to keep Melbourne happy...end of it all, no matter...no matter how much you do, they can still pull the rug from under you...whenever they feel like it..."

"It'll be all right, Matthew," said Blake. He could see that Lawson was in pain, and visibly tiring and he hoped that Harris would soon come back with the pain medication. "You rest up for bit. I'll contact Charlie; let him know what's happened. And I'll call round to your place; bring you in a few bits and pieces."

Lawson just nodded in response, eyes closing.

"We'll look after you, Matthew," said Blake, softly. "I promise."

* * *

to be continued


	5. Relief from duty

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 5/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 1,800  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson collapsed with acute appendicitis and underwent emergency surgery while Blake, Jean & Mattie waited anxiously for news. Blake sent Mattie and Jean home from the hospital and spent the night in vigil by Lawson's sickbed.

Chapter 5 - Relief from duty

* * *

Jean slowly made her way to the kitchen that morning. Glancing at Blake's room, she was troubled to see the door open and the bed unoccupied. "Maybe he just went out early," she thought to herself. Lost in thought, she didn't even notice the figure sitting at the table until she picked up the kettle and turned towards the sink.  
"Mattie!" said Jean, nearly dropping the kettle. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep," said Mattie, "I thought I'd make myself some cocoa, see if that helped."

"I take it that it didn't," said Jean, filling the kettle and putting it on to boil.

"Not really," said Mattie. She took a sip from her cup and grimaced as she realised it had gone cold. "I keep thinking of Superintendent Lawson...how ill he looked." She glanced over at the space where Lawson had collapsed, and shuddered involuntarily. "Is Lucien back?"

Jean shook her head, "His bed hasn't been slept in. He must have spent the night at the hospital." She could see Mattie's face pale slightly, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." She busied herself with the teapot, hoping her words would prove true.

The sound of the front door opening a few minutes later, made them both jump. Jean's hand clenched on the teapot as she poured the tea and she barely managed to avoid spilling it. "Lucien?" she called out, "I've just made some tea if you want a cup."

"Ah Jean," said Blake as he came into the kitchen. "Your timing is excellent as ever."

"I take it you spent the night at the hospital," said Jean, handing him a cup and bringing two more over to the table. "How is Matthew?" she asked, as she sat down.

"As well as can be expected," said Blake, "All things considered. He woke shortly before I left, was still pretty groggy of course. But he looks to be on the mend." Blake took a sip of tea, "Mmm, just what I needed. Of course they'll keep a strict eye on him for the next few days."

"But he **is** going to be all right?" said Mattie. "Isn't he?"

"I believe so," said Blake, "But of course it'll take some time before he's back on his feet again."

"How long will he be in hospital for?" asked Jean.

"Probably until the end of this week, early next week at the latest," said Blake, "Unless of course he develops any complications." He saw the looks on both women's faces and quickly added, "But hopefully it won't come to that. In any event, Jean, I hope you don't mind, but I'd like Matthew to stay here when he's discharged. Just until he's feeling a bit better."

"I was going to suggest the same thing," said Jean, "The poor man is going to need some looking after."

"Yes, I thought you'd agree," said Blake. He sipped his tea contemplatively and then looked at his watch. "Now, I promised Matthew that I'd phone Charlie and let him know what happened. It's not too early to ring his boarding house, do you think?"

"Mrs Carey is always up at this hour," said Jean, "She can get a message to Charlie if he's not already awake."

"Good, and then I can get on with this morning's surgery," said Blake. "After that, I need to call around to Matthew's place, bring him a few bits and pieces that he'll need while he's in hospital."

"You are going nowhere until you've had some breakfast and a few hours sleep," said Jean. "I'll check your morning appointments and reschedule any that can keep. Any that can't, I'll have them come back in the afternoon."

"But Jean!" protested Blake.

"No buts, Lucien. If you don't get some rest, then Matthew Lawson won't be the only one in a hospital bed! I'll call round to Matthew's place and get what he needs." She turned to Mattie, "And you can go and rest as well. I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

"Yes Jean," said Mattie and Blake, meekly.

* * *

Charlie was just buttoning up his shirt when his landlady knocked on the door. "Sergeant Davis? There's a phone call for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Carey," said Charlie. He pulled on his shoes and hurried down the stairs to the boarding house phone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Charlie," said Blake. "Good morning. Now, I'm sorry for disturbing you so early, but Lawson is in hospital."

"Bloody hell," said Charlie, "Excuse me, Doctor. What happened? Is he all right?"

"He had a bad dose of appendicitis," said Blake. "Collapsed last night at my place and was taken in for surgery."

"Bloody hell," repeated Charlie, sitting down.

"Now, he's going to be feeling pretty crook for a while, and it could be up to a month before he's able to return to work. You'll probably need to contact Melbourne, get them to appoint a temporary replacement." Blake hesitated before continuing, "And you make damned sure that they know it'll only need to be temporary."

"Do you think they might use this as an excuse to try and force him out...again?"

"Not if I can help it," said Blake. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what was going on."

"Thanks for that, Doc," said Charlie. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Well Lawson did say he wanted to see you, to brief you before you take charge."

"Will he be up for visitors today?" asked Charlie.

"Probably not, so best make it a short visit."

"Thanks Doc," Charlie hesitated for a few seconds, "You are sure he's going to be all right?"

"As sure as I can be, Charlie," said Blake. "As sure as I can."

* * *

Blake's words echoed in Charlie's mind as he hesitantly pushed open the door to the Superintendent's room. The on-duty nurse hadn't looked too happy about letting him in to see his boss outside of normal visiting hours. "Mister Lawson has been through a serious surgery and needs his rest," Sister Jackson had told him. "He certainly doesn't need a policeman annoying him and getting him stressed."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Charlie had said, "But it is urgent police business." She hadn't looked overly impressed, so he'd added, "And if I know my boss, he'll be more annoyed and stressed if he *doesn't* get a chance to speak to me. I just want to be able to let him know that everything's going to be under control and properly taken care of while he's sick."  
The Sister had given him a glare that rivalled Lawson's on a bad day, but had finally relented. "Uniform or no, if I find you've aggravated his condition, we are going to have words, young man."

Charlie had promised to be as quick and gentle as he could, and had finally escaped her glare, following her directions to Lawson's room. He hesitated momentarily before knocking on the door. There was a weak 'come in' from Lawson, and Charlie pushed the door open.

"Boss," said Charlie, removing his hat as he approached the bed. He bit back an exclamation as he saw how pale and exhausted Lawson was looking, "How are you feeling?"

"Bloody awful," said Lawson. "Sit down; we've a lot to go through. Have you contacted Melbourne yet?"

"Yes, Boss," said Charlie, pulling up a chair and taking out his notebook. "I checked in at the station and alerted them. Then I came straight here." He hesitated before continuing, "They said they'd have someone here within a day or two."

Lawson sighed heavily, "They've probably had a shortlist drawn up for months."  
He closed his eyes, and was so still that Charlie thought he'd fallen asleep. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at Charlie. "Right, let's get to work."

* * *

Lawson hadn't been wrong, thought Charlie as he scribbled quickly in his notebook. There ***was*** a lot to cover. Shift rosters, outstanding cases, even the petty cash to cover the costs of tea supplies; Lawson went through everything. "And you'll need to get Blake to sign off on my sick leave authorization. And remind him to finish the paperwork on Reilly."

"Yes, Boss," said Charlie.

"And contact the Prosecutor in the Finch case. It's up in front of the judge next week so you'll have to take the stand if they can't postpone."

"I..."

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

Charlie nearly fell off his chair with shock. He turned to see an angry looking Jean Beazley standing behind him. "Mrs Beazley!" he said, jumping to his feet. "The Superintendent was just briefing me on some police business."

"The Superintendent is supposed to be resting and ***not*** working!" said Jean.

"But Jean," said Lawson.

"Don't you 'but Jean' me, Matthew Lawson. You had us all worried sick last night. You're supposed to be taking things easy while you recover." She grabbed the notebook from Charlie's hand and closed it. "You saw fit to promote this young man to Sergeant. Are you saying your judgement was wrong and he's ***not*** up for the responsibility?"

Charlie couldn't help but smile, but he quickly straightened his face when Jean turned her attentions to him. "And as for you, Sergeant Davis, you earned your promotion, didn't you? Well act like it. Go back to the station and do not show your face around here until you're off duty."

"Yes Ma'am!" said Charlie, a note of awe in his voice. "Um, Mrs Beazley...do you think I could have my notebook back?" He quailed slightly under her glare as she handed him the notebook. "Thank you. Good day, Boss, Mrs Beazley." Grabbing his hat, he beat a hasty retreat.

As the door closed behind him, Jean turned her attention back to Lawson. To her shock, he was doubled over on the bed and shaking. "Matthew! What's wrong? Will I get a nurse?"

Lawson shook his head and took a deep breath, trying in vain to suppress his fit of laughter, "I...I'm fine..." He groaned slightly as his side started throbbing again, but finally he managed to compose himself. "Sorry Jean, but I think you scared Davis so much, I thought he was near wetting his pants!"

Jean shook her head in disbelief. "Men!" she said, as she pulled up the chair and sat down. But she had to see the funny side of it. "I am sorry; I didn't mean to overstep the mark with Charlie."

Lawson waved away her apology, "He'll get over it."

"But really Matthew," continued Jean, "You ***do*** need to start taking better care of yourself. I know you're worried about the job, but right now, your health needs to be your priority."

"I know," said Lawson, sighing heavily.

"I'm just glad that you've agreed to stay with us when you're released. You need somebody to look after you for a while."

"Blake wasn't exactly taking no for an answer," said Lawson. "But you're sure it's all right by you? I don't want to be any trouble."

"What's another place at the table?" said Jean, smiling warmly. "We'll all be delighted to have you."

* * *

To be continued


	6. A welcome visit

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 6/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 2,600  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson collapsed in front of Mattie with acute appendicitis and underwent emergency surgery.

Chapter 6 - A welcome visit

* * *

The next few days passed in a bit of a blur for Lawson. He slept often, assisted by the painkillers and antibiotics and who knew what other stuff the docs had insisted on pumping into him. Not that he was complaining overmuch. His waking hours seemed to be a constant round of tests and visitors and nurses turning up to tend to his every need, including some he'd have rather attended to himself.

But Lawson had to admit that it had been somewhat of a relief to have had to let go of everything. For now, he had no responsibilities, no duties, no greater decision to make than what book to read next. Granted, he didn't always get very far in his reading before dropping off, and he knew that when his concentration was a bit better, he was probably going to have to re-read some of the books that Jean had kindly brought him.

After a few days of it though, Lawson was feeling well enough to be getting bored by the routine. He'd had visitors of course, their numbers limited only by the nursing staff's strict enforcement of visiting hours. Even Blake, after that first night, hadn't been able to persuade them to stretch the rules for him. Lawson had nearly laughed himself sick one evening at the sight of Blake being escorted out of his room by a nurse barely half his size.

Sergeant Davis had been a regular visitor, although after that first day, he had only ever appeared out of uniform and had avoided all of Lawson's efforts to discuss police business.  
"I'm sorry, Sir," Charlie had said, "But Mrs. Beazley was very insistent."

"Mrs. Beazley isn't your superior office," growled Lawson.

"Oh you're still the boss...Boss. But right now, Mrs. Beazley scares me more than you do!"

Lawson had grunted something noncommittal in reply, but he was not unimpressed with the way Davis stood up for himself. The one piece of information that he had wormed out of Davis was that Melbourne had not called upon Doug Ashby to step in as temporary Superintendent. "They're sending some bloke called Garner," Charlie had told him. "I asked around with some friends of mine. He's been posted to Bendigo for a few years and he's down to take over when the Superintendent over there retires at the end of the year."  
The news had cheered Lawson somewhat, as it looked unlikely that Garner would seek to lengthen his assignment when he had just as good a one coming up.

All in all, thought Lawson as he worked on the daily crossword, pretty near everybody he knew had either been to visit him or had sent messages wishing him well. There'd even been a small card from Patrick Tyneman and his wife, although Lawson was pretty sure that it was Susan's handwriting on it. Lawson could really only think of one person that hadn't made any contact during the past few days.

* * *

"Ah Mattie," said Blake, hanging up his hat and coat. "I hope I'm not late for dinner."

"Jean was just about to dish up," said Mattie as Blake followed her into the kitchen.

"Evening, Lucien," said Jean as they took their seats.

"Evening Jean," said Blake. "Mmm, that smells delicious. Far superior to what they're serving up to poor Matthew."

"Did you visit him today?" asked Jean, as she poured a glass of water. "How is he?"

"Well enough that he's starting to complain about being bored," said Blake. "But the good news is that Henry is very pleased with his progress and he thinks Lawson should be released in another two or three days."

"That is good news yes," said Jean.

The conversation moved on to other topics, as Mattie sat there, lost in her thoughts. She was feeling somewhat guilty that she hadn't had time to pay Lawson a visit. "That's a lie," she told herself, "If you wanted to do it, you'd have made the time." A part of her *did* want to make the time, even if just to reassure herself that the Superintendent was indeed on the road to recovery. She could still see in her minds eye, Lawson looking so pale and weak as he had been wheeled away to theatre that night. But a part of her was still feeling guilty over the way she'd treated him that night. "He probably won't want to see me anyway," Mattie told herself as she ate her food without tasting it.

"And I'll make up the spare room for him tomorrow evening when I get back," said Jean.

"Back from where?" asked Blake as he helped himself to another serving of vegetables.

"Oh Lucien, I told you about this last week. A few of the sewing circle are taking a day trip. I'm going to leave dinner ready for the two of you; you'll just need to pop it in the oven."

"I actually may not be here for dinner myself," said Blake. "One of my patients is seeing a specialist in Melbourne, and I said I'd go with her."

"Oh dear," said Jean, "I have some new books for Matthew; I was hoping you could drop them in."

"I'm sure Mattie can do that," said Blake, "Won't you, Mattie?"

"What?" said Mattie, "I...um, I suppose. Yes, I'll drop them in." She forced a smile on her face. To herself, she thought, "I can always get one of the nurses to pass them on."

"Well that's settled then," said Jean. "Now eat up, I have an apple pie for dessert."

* * *

The next day, Mattie was kept busy and in spite of her good intentions, she didn't find herself at the hospital until late afternoon. She'd rethought her earlier intention to ask one of the nurses to pass on the books. "After all," Mattie told herself as she made her way through the hospital, "He'll be under the same roof as you in a few days time. You won't be able to avoid him then, so better to bite the bullet and get it over with now."

Steeling herself, Mattie knocked quietly on the door to Lawson's room, half hoping that he'd be asleep. There was no answer, so she pushed the door open, just enough to take a look inside. To her relief, Lawson, although propped up in the bed, appeared to be asleep. Mattie was just about to close the door again when she noticed a newspaper that had fallen crumpled on the floor. "Must have fallen asleep while reading," she thought, even as she pushed the door open further. "Better pick it up so he'll be able to reach it when he wakes."

Mattie crouched down to pick up the newspaper, but as she was standing, she heard a noise from the bed and looked up to see Lawson staring right at her. For a few seconds, Mattie froze in position, unable to look away. She could feel her face flushing and she quickly stood, the newspaper crumpled in her hand. "You...you dropped this," she managed to say, holding it out to Lawson, who took it wordlessly. "Oh, and Jean, she's sorry she couldn't make it today, she gave me these books for you." Mattie put the bag of books on the bedside locker, nearly knocking over the jug of water as she did so. "Oh, sorry." She caught the jug, "Would you like a glass of water or anything?"

"A glass of water would be nice," said Lawson, settling himself more comfortably in the bed. "Thank you, Miss O'Brien," he added as she handed him the glass. "Please, sit down."

Mattie sat down quickly in the chair, "I just...how are you feeling, Superintendent?"

"All the better for seeing you," said Lawson, putting the glass down. "I was hoping you'd visit. I really wanted to say thank you for what you did that night."

"Oh but I didn't really *do* anything," said Mattie.

"You got me to the hospital when I was crook," said Lawson, "But you also stayed with me when I needed it." He cleared his throat, "I've taken plenty of knocks in my time. The other night, well that was one of the few times I was scared I wouldn't make it out the other side. But I remember you were there and telling me it was going to be okay, and I don't know if I'd have made it without you. Thank you for that, Miss O'Brien."

"You're welcome, Superintendent." Mattie hesitated before continuing, "I really came here...I wanted to apologize to you for that night. You were a guest in Lucien's house, a friend of both him and Jean, and I was terribly rude to you. I should never have called you a bully."

"You had every right to speak your mind. Don't ever apologize for that," said Lawson, "If you hit a nerve...well that's my problem." He sighed, "Maybe I did go a bit too far with Reilly. Part of my job sometimes, getting a reaction out of people. Somebody gets pissed at me; they're liable to say things they shouldn't. Sometimes it's the only way to get the truth out of them."

"And sometimes they belt you in the face!" said Mattie.

Lawson shrugged, "If it gets a conviction...gets a lowlife like Reilly off the streets for a bit, maybe it's not too high a price to pay." He cleared his throat, "Reilly used to smack his wife around. Everybody at the station knew that, but she was afraid of him and he wasn't afraid of us. Time was when a few of the uniforms would have shown him what it was like to be on the receiving end. But we don't do things that way anymore. We've changed, but people like Reilly haven't." Lawson settled himself more comfortably in the bed. "And now he's lost his temper with the wrong bloke because I sure as hell won't be too scared to stand up in court against him"

* * *

The ice broken, Mattie chatted easily with Lawson for a while before looking at her watch. "Oops, visiting hours are almost over. I'd better leave before they throw me out!" Standing, she gathered her things together.

"Thank you for visiting, Miss O'Brien," said Lawson. "It's good to have company in here."

"You're welcome," said Mattie. "And you won't be stuck in here much longer." She hesitated briefly before continuing, "You know, since we're going to be under the same roof soon, perhaps we should be on first name terms. I can't exactly keep calling you Superintendent when we're sitting round the same dining table three meals a day!"

"I'd like that," said Lawson. "Good afternoon, Mattie."

"Good afternoon, Matthew," said Mattie, before leaving the room.

* * *

"All set?" asked Blake a few days later.

"Pretty much," said Lawson, getting up from the visitors chair. "Mr. Henry signed my discharge papers this morning and Sister Jackson gave me a long list of 'dos and don'ts' for my convalescence. I told her I'd be staying at your place for the duration."

"And what did she say to that?" asked Blake as he helped Lawson into his coat.

"Rolled her eyes and sighed," said Lawson, "Then she said that at least Mrs. Beazley and Nurse O'Brien had their heads screwed on all right and wouldn't let me get away with anything." It was a passable imitation of the Sister's clipped tones and no-nonsense manner.

"Clearly she doesn't have the same opinion of me!" said Blake with a smile. "I'll have to have words with her."

"She's just doing her job," said Lawson, grimacing slightly as he buttoned his coat. "Can't say I haven't appreciated all she's done for me this past week." He was looking Blake straight in the eye as he said this. Clearing his throat, he added, "There's a lot of people round here, I owe a lot to."

"You've earned all that and more," said Blake, brushing some dust off Lawson's shoulder. "Just think of all that you've done for Ballarat these past years."

"Yeah, well some people see it differently," said Lawson. He pulled his thoughts away from the gloom that was threatening to overwhelm him. For now, he was on the mend, he was getting out of the hospital, and soon, hopefully, he would be back behind his desk where he belonged.

"Come on," said Blake, "Let's get you out of here. Jean has a slap up meal prepared for your first night home." He picked up the small case with Lawson's belongings in it, put his arm around his friend and steered him to the door.

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" asked Blake as he pulled up in front of Lawson's cottage. "I can pick up anything you need once I get you settled in at my place."

Lawson shook his head, "Easier for me to do it than to make out a list for you," he said. "Besides, I just want to check that everything's in place."

Blake was silent as he watched Lawson fumble with the keys before finally unlocking his front door. In spite of Lawson's assurances that he could manage the brief detour, Blake had been in two minds about allowing it, knowing that Lawson's strength and stamina were nowhere near their usual levels. But even if his physical strength was limited, he was still just as bloody minded as ever, and since Blake hadn't wanted him sulking all the way home, he'd agreed that they could swing by Lawson's place to fill a larger suitcase with everything he'd need for the duration of his convalescence.

* * *

Half an hour later the bag had been packed to Lawson's satisfaction and he sat down on an armchair, breathing heavily. A glass of water appeared in his field of vision and he took it gratefully, drinking deeply before looking up to see Blake watching him with concern.

Lawson set down the glass and leaned back with a sigh. "Yes, I know, I bloody overdid it," he said tiredly. "I don't need a lecture."

Blake sat down opposite him, "I'm not going to lecture you, Matthew. I think your own body is giving you a more effective chastisement than any words of mine could be."

"I can barely stand without holding on to something for support," said Lawson. "Get out of breath when I walk across the room. How long is it going to be like this?" There was a note almost of fear in his voice.

"It won't be forever," said Blake, reassuringly. "Look, the first day after your surgery, you couldn't even sit upright for long without feeling sick. But that passed, and this too will pass. You just have to take things slowly; don't push yourself too hard too fast."

"Yeah," Lawson looked away. "You know, I thought...getting you to bring me back here. I figured maybe I'd be fine once I'd got home; thought I could send you away, let you leave me here."

"I know," said Blake, smiling as Lawson looked at him in surprise. "That's why I brought you here."

"Wanted me to make a fool of myself?"

"No, I just wanted you to acknowledge for yourself that you're going to need a little help, just until you're feeling better." Blake stood and held out his hand. "Matthew, I want to help you. All of your friends do. You'd do the same if the positions were reversed."

Lawson took Blake's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. "Maybe, but you'd be sleeping on the couch, and I can't cook half as well as Jean!"

"Come on," said Blake. "Now it's time to go home."

* * *

to be continued


	7. Convalescence

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 7/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson collapsed in front of Mattie with acute appendicitis and underwent emergency surgery. After being discharged from hospital, he returned to Blake's house to recuperate.

Chapter 7 – Convalescence 

* * *

Jean balanced the breakfast tray in one hand as she knocked on the door with the other. She waited for a 'come in' before opening the door.

"Good morning, Matthew," said Jean, bustling round the room with brisk efficiency and setting down the tray on the bedside table before pulling open the drapes.

"Good morning to you too, Jean," said Lawson, sitting himself up in the bed.

"How are you feeling today?" asked Jean as she poured him a cup of tea.

"Better than I did yesterday," said Lawson.

* * *

It had been three days since Blake had brought Lawson home from the hospital, and the household had quickly settled into a routine around their convalescing guest.  
Jean brought Lawson his breakfast in the morning, along with the daily newspaper. Once he'd finished the paper and listened to the wireless for a bit, he was allowed out of bed for a few hours, which were usually spent resting in either the living room or the sun room. It was frustrating for Lawson to be idle for so long, but at least it was a bit of a change in the scenery.

He took lunch with Jean, and sometimes Mattie and Blake as their respective schedules allowed. If the weather was fine, he was allowed out into the garden in the afternoon, with strict instructions not to exert himself. By the time dinner was served in the evening, Lawson was usually tired enough that he was grateful to spend the rest of the evening in his room with the wireless and a few books for company. He had the occasional visitor, but for the most part Lawson's time was spent solely with members of the Blake household.  
Still, it wasn't all bad, thought Lawson, as he stretched out on the couch one afternoon. Even if his movements were almost as restricted as they had been while in the hospital, the very fact of being in a proper bed and a proper home, had him feeling much better. Or maybe it was just Jean's cooking that was doing the trick thought Lawson with a smile. All in all, he was grateful to Blake for putting him up during his convalescence. 

* * *

The responsibilities of being a good host were on Blake's mind as he knocked on Mattie's door.

"Is dinner ready?" asked Mattie, looking up from her books in surprise. "I didn't hear Jean calling."

"No, it'll be another ten minutes," said Blake. "I just wanted to ask a favour of you."

"Of course," said Mattie, "What do you need?"

"Well, you know the lecture at the art gallery that we were all going to go to tomorrow night?"

Mattie nodded as Blake continued.

"I know we've been looking forward to it, but I really would prefer not to leave Matthew here alone, and he's not really fit enough to come with us...not that it'd really be his cup of tea at all. And I know it's a bit of an imposition..."

"I don't mind staying home," said Mattie. "And to be honest, art isn't really my thing either." And neither was being a gooseberry while Jean and Lucien were dancing around each other, thought Mattie, wryly. "I'll look in on him, make sure he's okay." She smiled, "And then you and Jean can have the evening to yourselves."

"Mattie, you're an angel," said Blake, smiling back at her.

"Just be sure and behave yourself with Jean," said Mattie, with a wink.

"I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"I wouldn't go quite that far!" said Mattie, who had heard all about the kiss at the doorway. 

* * *

Jean had told her all about it a few days later. "And then the phone rang," said Jean, "And a part of me was annoyed at whoever it was that had needed to get in touch at that hour."

"That was probably me," said Mattie, looking gloomily at the cup of tea on the table in front of her. "I think I dialled the house about a dozen times that night."

"Oh Mattie," said Jean, patting Mattie on the hand. "I didn't mean..."

"It's all right," said Mattie, pulling herself together, "Come on, you can't stop there."

"Well, as I was saying, a part of me was annoyed at the interruption...but another part of me was almost, well, relieved."

"Relieved?"

Jean nodded, "Yes. It just all seemed to have happened so fast. Maybe he just got carried away by the movie and the romance of it all. I just didn't want him doing something that he, well, that both of us might regret the next day."

"And how has he behaved since then?" asked Mattie.

"That's just it; he hasn't behaved any differently than usual." Jean took a drink from her cup before putting it back down on the table. "I mean, I know with what's happened with Matthew, obviously Lucien has had other things on his mind. But I admit it's a bit of a bruise to my self-esteem that he hasn't even mentioned it."

"Well like you said, he's been worried about the Superintendent," said Mattie. "Maybe you should say something to him."

"Oh I couldn't," said Jean. "What if he feels it was a mistake, and just wants to let it all blow over."

"What if he's waiting for *you* to say something? Maybe he just doesn't want to embarrass you by bringing it up if you don't want to take it further." Mattie paused for a few seconds before asking, "Do you want to take things further with Lucien?"

Jean sighed, "He is a lovely man...when he's not being his usual impossible self that is. I care about him as a friend, a dear friend, and I don't want to spoil our friendship if things don't work out." She toyed with her teacup. "I should just let things lie, there's no point in rocking the boat."

"Sometimes you just have a take a chance on things, Jean. Maybe it won't work out, but if you don't try, you'll never know." 

* * *

"You and Jean have a good time," said Mattie, as she tidied away her books. "I'll look after Matthew."

* * *

"I do hope Matthew will be all right," said Jean as Blake drove into downtown Ballarat. "Maybe we shouldn't have left him."

"He'll be fine," said Blake, "Mattie will keep an eye on him; if there are any problems, she has the phone number of the gallery. And let's face it, she's already shown she can keep her head in an emergency situation."

"It's keeping her temper I'm more worried about," said Jean. "You know how fired up she can be when she gets an idea into her head. I don't want her starting an argument with Matthew over the death penalty or prisoners rights. He needs to be taking things easy, not getting wound up."

"Oh I'm sure Lawson would give as good as he'd get from Mattie," said Blake with a smile. "Besides, what would they have to argue about? It's not like he's beaten up any prisoners in the past week."

"Lucien!"

"Sorry Jean," said Blake, with not a trace of remorse. "Look, I think you're worrying unnecessarily. After all, they've been breaking bread together for the last few days and it's all been quite pleasant, smiles all round." He glanced over at Jean. "I know you're just looking out for Matthew, we all are. But we can't keep him wrapped in cotton wool. In any case, I'd be almost happy if Mattie *did* manage to get him wound up. He has been pretty subdued since his operation. Yes, I know," Blake added quickly, to stave off Jean's interruption, "It is hardly surprising after all he went through."

"I was going to say that I'd noticed that as well," admitted Jean. "The last time I saw him like this...well it was just before he was called to that disciplinary hearing and he was bottling up all his concerns."

"I'm sure that once he's feeling better, he'll be back to his old self," said Blake as he expertly pulled in to a parking space. "Just wait until he's back on his feet, back at work and yelling at his coppers for not doing things the way he likes them. He'll be fine. Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it tonight, so let's just have a good time." Blake smiled at Jean.

Jean returned the smile. "Lucien is right," she thought as Blake took her arm and escorted her across the road. "Matthew just needs some rest and Mattie certainly wouldn't do anything to impair his recovery." With that thought, she put the matter from her mind. 

* * *

"Oh! You are the most impossible man I have ever met," said Mattie.

"I hardly think that's fair," said Lawson. "Blake's far more impossible than I am!"

Mattie couldn't help but laugh, "All right, maybe you're not the *most* impossible man...but you're certainly the most impossible patient. And here was I thinking that Doctors made for bad patients!"

It had all started an hour earlier, when Mattie, acting in her capacity as Lawson's hostess for the night, had brought him his evening tea and some biscuits on a tray. To save herself having to make a few journeys back and forth to the kitchen, she'd brought her own cup as well, intending to return to her room with it as soon as she'd tended to Lawson. To her surprise, and possibly his own as well, Lawson had asked her to join him in listening to the wireless.

Mattie had only briefly hesitated, before smiling warmly and sitting down in the armchair. "Just until I finish my cuppa," she said, "I do need to get back to my books. My exams will be coming up before I know it."

"You've got a heavy workload," said Lawson. "Full time job, and all these extra hours studying as well."

"Not to mention Lucien dragging me along whenever he needs a 'girl Friday' to help him investigate!" said Mattie.

"He got you doing any of that recently?" asked Lawson, an innocent expression on his face.

"Well actually..." Mattie looked at Lawson, "Oh no, we are *not* discussing police business. Charlie told me that Jean chucked him out of your hospital room when she caught him doing that."

Lawson was taking a drink of his tea and as he started to laugh, he nearly choked on the beverage.

"Matthew, are you all right?" asked Mattie, putting her cup down quickly, ready to go to his aid.

"I...I'm fine," said Lawson, putting his cup down as well and coughing to clear his throat. "Just went down the wrong way is all." He took a deep breath, "Ah, that's better."

"Good, because for a minute there I thought it was going to be the second time you'd been sick after I'd made you a drink. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my tea making skills!"

"Nothing wrong with the cuppa, Mattie," said Lawson. "Only thing that could improve it might be a drop of whisky." He smiled at Mattie, "I'm sure Blake wouldn't mind."

"Sorry," said Mattie, "I don't know where he keeps it."

"Not to worry," said Lawson. "I'm a police officer; we're very good at finding things that people have hidden." He made as if to get up from the bed.

"Oh no you don't!" said Mattie, "I am *not* letting you go hunting round Blake's study. And besides, even if you *did* find it, you shouldn't be drinking while you're still on medication."

"I won't tell him if you don't!"

"Oh! You are the most impossible man I have ever met," said Mattie.

"I hardly think that's fair," said Lawson. "Blake's far more impossible than I am!"

Mattie couldn't help but laugh, "All right, maybe you're not the *most* impossible man...but you're certainly the most impossible patient. And here was I thinking that Doctors made for bad patients!

They chatted amicably for a while longer before Mattie looked at her watch and sighed, "It's getting late," she said as she stood up. "I really should get back to my books." Tidying up the tray, she carried it to the door. "Goodnight Matthew."

"Goodnight Mattie," said Lawson. After the door shut behind Mattie, he turned off the light and was soon asleep, a smile on his face. 

* * *

to be continued 


	8. Opening their eyes

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 8/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 1,200  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson convalesced at Blake's house. Jean and Blake went to a lecture leaving Mattie in charge.

Chapter 8 – Opening their eyes

* * *

Mattie had finished studying for the night and was washing up the tea things when she heard the front door open.

"Oh Mattie," said Jean, seeing her at the sink. "You should have left those for me to do."

"I don't mind," said Mattie as she wiped the last cup. "Besides, tonight was your night off." She could see that Jean was looking a bit flushed. "So, how was the lecture?"

"Very...educational," said Jean. In truth, she could hardly even remember what the topic had been. All she could bring to mind was Lucien, sitting so close to her during the lecture and hardly leaving her side during the tea and biscuits that had been served afterwards. He'd opened the car door for her when they'd gotten home, and in what had seemed an almost automatic gesture had put his arm around her as they'd walked to the front door.

This time, there had been no phone call to interrupt Lucien when he had started to kiss her, and if it hadn't been for the chill of the night seeping through their coats, well, Jean wasn't sure what it could have led to.

When she'd started to shiver with the cold rather than desire, Jean's practicality had overruled her sense of romance and she'd insisted that they go inside. "The last thing this household needs is two more invalids," she'd said as she'd fumbled for her keys, unsure as to whether it was the cold or something else which was making her hands shake so.

"Yes," said Blake, a smile on his face. "It wouldn't do to add a few cases of pneumonia to the mix. Poor Mattie would be run off her feet, tending to the lot of us!" He put his hand on Jean's as she turned the key. "Bloody hell, your hands are cold. Put the kettle on and I'll make up a batch of hot whisky. Purely medicinal of course."

"Of course," echoed Jean as she opened the door.

* * *

"Very...educational," said Jean. She filled the kettle and put it on to boil. "So how was your evening? How is Matthew? I hope it wasn't any trouble looking after him."

"No trouble at all," said Mattie.

The next few nights, when Mattie took her usual break from her studies, it seemed only natural to offer to make a cup of tea for Matthew at the same time as her own, to save Jean having to do it. And when she'd brought him the tea, it seemed only natural to sit and drink the tea with him.

After all, thought Mattie, a few nights later. It made no sense to have two people in separate rooms drinking tea on their own. She could of course have sat with Jean and Lucien and shared a cuppa with them. But ever since the night of the lecture, there had been a small but distinct change in their relationship. And Mattie was becoming ever more conscious of the fact that while two was company, three was quite clearly a crowd. Not that either of them had ever given her any sign that she was unwelcome...but Mattie didn't need a psychology qualification to realize that to Blake and Jean these days, her presence was 'unnecessary'.

* * *

"Well good luck to the pair of them," said Lawson, after Mattie had let slip her feelings about playing gooseberry.

"Oh I wish them well too," said Mattie, quickly. "They're both such good people, but it's just sometimes when I'm in the room with them, I feel like they're the only people in the room and I might as well not even be there."

"That's courtship for you," said Lawson. "Mark my words, there'll be wedding bells ringing in this house before the year is out."

"Hmm," said Mattie pensively as she sipped on her tea. "Ugh, it's gone cold." She looked at her watch and gasped in shock as she saw the time. "It's so late! It's time I was going." She stood quickly, adding in a joking tone. "Some of us have to get up for work in the morning!"

Mattie regretted the words as she saw the smile fade from Lawson's face. "Oh Matthew," she said, sitting down on the bed, facing him. "I didn't mean..." She bit her lip. "I know you wish you were back at work." She squeezed his hand which had clenched involuntarily into a fist.

Lawson slowly relaxed his hand and forced a smile onto his face. "It's all right, Mattie," he said quietly. "And you're right, I *do* wish I was back at work." He sighed heavily, "It's just so bloody frustrating, being stuck here all the time. Don't get me wrong," he added hastily, "I really appreciate the way you're all looking after me. And these chats with you, I wouldn't have missed them for the world." He fell silent for a few seconds before continuing. "But I'm a copper, that's what I do. My job is to look out for other people, to protect them. And the longer I'm stuck here like this, the more I'm worried that I won't make it back to work, that I'll never be fit enough to wear the uniform again."

"Have you said anything about this to Lucien?" asked Mattie, concern in her voice.

Lawson shook his head, "It's my problem, not his. He's been busy enough this last week or so. Didn't want to bother him."

"And that's the very attitude that got you laid up for so long in the first place!" She sighed in exasperation. "Matthew, I think you should speak to Lucien. He's your friend, but he's also your doctor. He can give you another check up, and you know he'll tell you honestly how your recovery is progressing. You know it's not always easy to assess your own fitness."

"Don't I bloody know it!" said Lawson, smiling. "You're right Mattie, of course. I'll speak to Blake tomorrow. But you'd best be off to bed now. I might read for a bit. I can always have a nice lie-in in the morning, after I get my breakfast in bed."

"Oh!" said Mattie, "Just for that, I'm going to tell Jean that I think you're fit enough to take *all* your meals with us. Starting with breakfast tomorrow..." she glanced at her watch, "Or should I say today."

"Goodnight Mattie," said Lawson, warmly.

"Goodnight Matthew," said Mattie. Almost without thinking, she reached out and gave Lawson a hug. For a second, she could feel him tense under her grip, but just as she was about to pull away embarrassed, she felt his arms encircle her, returning the embrace.

Mattie's heart was pounding and she could feel herself starting to blush as she finally pulled away. "Good...good night," she repeated, standing quickly and grabbing her cardigan from the chair, pulling it on as she hurried to the door. "I...I'll see you tomorrow." Mattie closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Her hands were shaking as she automatically did up her buttons while making her way back to her own room.

* * *

to be continued


	9. An embarrassment of friendships

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 9/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 3,000  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Jean and Blake's budding romance grew stronger, as did Mattie and Lawson's friendship. One night Mattie stayed talking to Lawson much later than usual and then left his room in a hurry, somewhat embarrassed after hugging him.

Chapter 9 – An embarassment of friendships

* * *

Jean had just returned to her bedroom with a glass of water when she'd heard the guest room door open. Conscious of her responsibilities towards the convalescent Matthew, she'd quickly put down the glass on the nightstand, intending to see if there was anything wrong. She had barely opened the door a few inches when she saw Mattie hurrying past. Before Jean could say anything, Mattie had gone into her own room shutting the door quickly behind her.

"What on earth was she doing up at this hour? And in Matthew's room!" wondered Jean. She glanced quickly down the passageway, but the guest room door was shut. "Maybe they were just talking," thought Jean as she closed her own door and returned to her bed. But if Jean was being honest with herself, she knew that Mattie didn't look as if she had just been talking. "No, she looked just like I felt when Lucien kissed me at the front door after the lecture."

Jean turned out the light and tried to settle down, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking back to how flustered Mattie had looked. "Maybe Matthew tried it on with her..." But no, thought Jean, Matthew was a good man, a gentleman, and he certainly wouldn't have made any improper advances towards a woman who was well, young enough to be his daughter. "But Mattie on the other hand," Jean sighed, "She's so impulsive, so young...so forward...oh dear..."

Jean lay awake for some time, trying to decide whether she was overreacting or not. "Maybe I'm just so caught up with what's happening with Lucien, maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there. Yes, that's it," she said to herself as she pulled the bedclothes around her. "Mattie was probably just flustered because she stayed talking to Matthew for too long." Jean yawned involuntarily. She was just about to drop off to sleep when it occurred to her to wonder just how much time Mattie *had* been spending with Matthew. "I should speak to her about it," thought Jean, sleepily.

* * *

Back in his room, Lawson too was thinking of Mattie. He lay awake for some time, wishing he hadn't reacted the way he had. But when Mattie had hugged him, well, he had to admit that he had enjoyed the brief contact, and it had been an instinctive reaction to hug her back. Clearly though from Mattie's reaction, he thought, his action had been unwelcome. He only hoped that Mattie would forgive him for his unmannerly behaviour.

* * *

Mattie herself was still flushed with embarrassment by the time she climbed into her own bed. "What on earth was I thinking?" she asked herself as she tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep. "What must Matthew be thinking of me?"

* * *

Blake was the only member of the household to sleep soundly that night.

"Good morning everybody," he said as he sat down at the breakfast table the next morning. "And how are we all this glorious day?" He helped himself to a slice of toast.

"Fine," said Mattie in a subdued tone as she pushed her breakfast around on the plate.

"Never better," said Jean, "Lucien, will you be lunching in or out today?"

"Well I'll have to check my schedule." Blake had a smile on his face, which faded when Jean didn't return it. "Probably in, unless I get called away."

"I'll have lunch at the hospital," said Mattie, quickly. "I...I have some paperwork I need to catch up on. In fact I should really be going." She pushed away her plate and grabbed her bag. "I'll see you both this evening."

"And then there were two," said Blake. He moved over to where Jean was standing by the sink and put his arms around her.

"Lucien!" said Jean, pushing him away. "I have a hundred things to do this morning and I don't need you getting under my feet."  
Blake backed away, hands in the air, "I'm sorry Jean." He took a closer look at her, "Are you all right? You're looking a bit tired."

"I'm fine," said Jean, She forced a smile onto her face. "I just didn't sleep very well. Don't mind me." Jean wanted to tell him about what she'd seen the previous night, but she held her tongue, feeling that she owed it to Mattie to give her the benefit of the doubt "At least until I've had a chance to talk to her." Inwardly Jean was fuming at Lucien's bad timing. She'd been waiting for the opportunity to speak to Mattie about the previous night. It had been obvious from the girl's distracted air that *something* had happened to bother her. Jean had been trying to work her way around to the subject when she'd heard Lucien whistling merrily on his way to the kitchen. "I'll speak to her this evening," thought Jean.

* * *

Blake was still somewhat concerned about both women, but he put it from his mind as he dealt with his morning surgery.

"Come in," said Blake in answer to a knock at his surgery door. He glanced at the list of his appointments and frowned as he realized that he'd already seen everybody on his schedule. Looking up, he smiled as he saw Lawson in the doorway. "Ah Lawson, finally another sane person in this crazy household. I don't know if you've noticed but the womenfolk don't seem to be quite their usual cheerful selves this morning."

"Yeah," said Lawson as he came in and sat down opposite Blake. "I thought Jean seemed a bit short with me. Hope you're not giving her any grief!"

"Me?" said Blake with an air of injured innocence. "Of course not...well, no more than usual. Now, what I can do for you, Matthew. Or is this a social call."

Lawson was silent for a few seconds. In the cold light of day, his fears over his health seemed somewhat foolish, but he'd told Mattie he'd speak to the doc, so here he was. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke up, "I was wondering if you could maybe give me a bit of check over. See how I'm doing."

Blake was immediately all business, "Of course Matthew. Take your jacket off and we'll get started."

* * *

"Well, what's the verdict, Doc?" asked Lawson, his voice carefully neutral, as he pulled his jacket back on.

"Well your blood pressure is normal, lungs sound clear, and your incision is healing nicely with no sign of infection. All in all a vast improvement from two weeks ago. You are looking a bit peaky though, are you sure you're getting enough rest?"

"Stayed up a bit late last night," said Lawson, "Didn't sleep all that well."

"Well don't make a habit of it," said Blake. "But all in all, you're making excellent progress. You can start taking a bit more exercise now. Get out into the fresh air for a bit; it'll do you more good than any tonic! Just don't push yourself *too* hard too soon. At this rate, I can see you fit to be back under your own roof in another week."

"You think so?" said Lawson, unable to hide the relief in his voice.

"I'm sure of it," said Blake. "Not that we haven't all enjoyed your company, but I'm sure you can't wait to get home."

* * *

Lawson had mixed feelings about the thought of going home. On the one hand, as welcome as everybody had made him feel at Blake's house, he was still a guest...and the sooner he got back to his own place, the sooner he'd feel that things were getting back to normal. On the other hand, there was Mattie, whose companionship had certainly helped pass the time. But then again, there was last night, and if he had offended her or made her feel uncomfortable in her own home...well, maybe the best thing *was* for him to leave as soon as Blake cleared him to go.

By the time night had fallen, Lawson was still undecided as to what he should do. Matters weren't helped by the fact that Mattie appeared to be avoiding him. She had taken her lunch out and when Lawson sat down at the dinner table, he had to hide his disappointment when Jean mentioned that Mattie was working late and had told them not to wait for her.

* * *

Mattie had meticulously written up all her patient notes. She'd checked through the files on all the patients on her visiting list for the next day. She'd checked her medical bag and made sure that it was fully stocked with all the required equipment and supplies for her visits. Finally, when she could think of no more excuses, she went home.

"Mattie, you're terribly late," said Jean, as Mattie came in. "Is everything all right?"

Mattie forced a smile on her face, "It was just a busy day, lots to do. I'm sorry for missing dinner."

"Oh don't worry about it," said Jean, "I've kept some warm for you. I'll just get it out of the oven while you wash up."

"Thank you, Jean," said Mattie, as she took off her hat and coat. "Oh and Jean, I um, I really need to catch up on my books. Would...would you mind getting Matthew's tea tonight." Mattie busied herself with folding her coat and didn't notice the look on Jean's face.

"Of course I will," said Jean. She glanced through to the living room where Lucien was watching the television and decided to wait until there were a few less ears to listen in before she spoke to Mattie. Not that Lucien would be anything but supportive to Mattie, but Jean had a feeling that this was a topic of conversation best kept between the two of them.

* * *

Mattie had to force herself to eat her dinner, or at least enough of it so as not to offend Jean. As quickly as she could, she made her excuses and returned to her room to study. But her books lay open on the desk in front of her as she stared at the wall. "Coward," she told herself. "You've hidden at work all day and now you're hiding in your room. Do you think you can avoid him completely for the rest of his stay?"

* * *

As promised, Jean prepared the tea tray for Lawson and brought it to his room. The fleeting look of disappointment on his face when she opened the door to his room told her a lot. She smiled and made a few unremarkable comments before making her excuses and leaving with the intention of going straight to Mattie's room.

The shrill tones of the telephone stopped Jean in her tracks and she hurried downstairs to answer it. It was an emergency call for Lucien, a sick child needing a doctor urgently. Jean pulled out the relevant file for Lucien while he checked his medical bag. Then with a quick kiss and a "Don't wait up", he was gone.

Jean said a silent prayer that he would get to the patient in time and return safely, and then she headed back towards Mattie's room.

"Mattie?" said Jean, knocking on her door. "May I come in?" There was no response. Jean waited a few seconds before knocking again. When there was still no response, Jean opened the door. "Mattie?" She had a sudden sense of déjà vu as she looked at the empty room.

Jean closed the door and walked down the corridor towards the guest room. Standing outside, she could hear voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. "This is not appropriate at all," said Jean to herself as she turned away, resolving to speak to Blake at the earliest opportunity.

* * *

Lawson sipped the tea that Jean had brought him, but it didn't taste the same without anybody to share it with. Jean had told him that Mattie was busy studying and it was now clear to him that Mattie was deliberately avoiding him. "Maybe it's best I go home sooner rather than later," he thought. "Let things get back to normal for Mattie...for everybody as soon as possible."

Lost in thought, he almost didn't hear the knock on the door. "Come in," he called; half expecting it to be Jean returning for the tea tray. The door opened and Lawson wasn't able to hide his delight as he saw Mattie standing there. "Mattie!" He quickly sat up.

"Hello Matthew," said Mattie. She hesitated only slightly before coming inside and closing the door behind her. A part of her still didn't want to do this. A part of her wanted wished she'd stayed in her room and simply avoided Matthew for the duration of his stay, which she was sure wouldn't be much longer. But she'd already done that during his stay in hospital, and embarrassing as it was going to be apologizing to him, it was best to clear the air and get it over with. "Besides," Mattie had thought, and this had been the deciding factor, "Matthew is my friend, and I don't want to lose that friendship over a misunderstanding."

"I just wanted to apologize," said Mattie, blushing slightly. "Last night...the hug...I didn't want to make you uncomfortable..."

"You didn't," said Lawson, quickly. "I'm the one who should be apologizing for making you uncomfortable. I never meant to upset you."

"You didn't upset me, Matthew," said Mattie, feeling somewhat relieved. "I just wasn't thinking...you just looked like you needed a hug..."

Lawson smiled, "The way I was feeling sorry for myself, I'm not surprised you thought that! But I spoke to Blake today and he thinks I should be fit enough to go home in a week or so."

"Oh," said Mattie, "Oh good, that's good. I'm so glad you're getting better." She took a breath, "I should probably go."

"Please, do stay for a bit."

"If you're sure," said Mattie, "Just so long as you don't keep me here as late as last night!"

"I'll send you away before you turn into a pumpkin," said Lawson, smiling. True to his word, he kept an eye on the time while they chatted and reluctant though he was to end their conversation he did remind Mattie when it was time for her to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Mattie, as she stood by the door.

"Maybe I'll join you for breakfast," said Lawson. "Goodnight Mattie."

"Goodnight Matthew."

* * *

True to her word, Jean sought out Blake the next day as soon as Mattie had left for work and before the first of Blake's appointments was due to arrive.

"Lucien," said Jean, closing the study door behind her. "I need to speak to you about Matthew."

"Is everything all right?" asked Blake, concern in his voice as he looked up from his files.

"Yes, he's fine," said Jean. "I've just brought him his breakfast. No, I was just wondering how much longer he's going to be staying here."

"Well, he's progressing quite well," said Blake, "But I'd like to keep him here for another week, just to make sure he's fit enough to look after himself." He saw the look on Jean's face. "I know it's been a lot of extra work for you Jean, and I just want to know that I really do appreciate it."

"Oh it's not the work that's the issue here," said Jean, "It's just..." She hesitated briefly before continuing, "Well I saw Mattie...coming out of Matthew's room the night before last, and she was in there again last night. And I just think it's not appropriate behaviour. A young woman, spending so much time in a man's bedroom unchaperoned. It's not right."

"I'm sure there's an innocent explanation," said Blake, closing the file and setting it to one side. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"It was well after midnight that first night," said Jean.

"They probably just got to talking and forgot about the time."

"Mattie didn't look like she'd just been 'talking'," said Jean, folding her arms. "Maybe it's just as well that Matthew will be going home sooner rather than later."

"Well he does want to get back to normal as soon as he can," said Blake, "But I'm not going to turf him out just because you 'think' something is going on." He put his hand up to stop Jean's protests, "In any event, Mattie and Matthew are both responsible adults, and if they did want to be, ahem, 'inappropriate', well, that's really between the two of them."

"Oh Lucien, don't be so naive. You know what people are like," snapped Jean. "You may not give a toss about *your* reputation."

"Well that's true," said Blake with a smile. "Look, if you're that concerned about it, I'll have a word with Lawson. Make sure he knows he's to behave himself while he's under my roof. You can speak to Mattie." He smiled. "Honestly Jean, I *do* think you are overreacting a bit." He stood and moved over to Jean, putting his arms around her. "Seriously, where's the harm if they *are* getting closer. If I remember correctly, it's not too long ago when you were worried that they weren't getting on with each other."

Jean sighed, "I know. I just don't want either of them to get hurt. What if one of them takes things more seriously than the other does?" She looked Blake in the eye. "What if it doesn't work out and they've ruined a perfectly good friendship by trying to make something more of it than they should have?"

"Well then they'll just have to deal with it like mature adults." Blake kissed Jean gently. "And their friends will be there to help them pick up the pieces."

It was a few minutes later when Jean pulled away, "I should be getting on. Your first appointment is in a few minutes."

"Yes," said Blake, reluctantly letting Jean go. "And I'll have a discreet word with Matthew after lunch."

"Do be tactful," said Jean, as she headed for the door.

"I'll be the soul of diplomacy," said Blake, a smile on his face.

"That'll be a first," said Jean, smiling back at him before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

To be continued


	10. Confrontations and consequences

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 10/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship  
Word count: ~ 2,400  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - One night Mattie stayed talking to Lawson much later than usual and then left his room in a hurry, somewhat embarrassed after hugging him. Unbeknownst to her, Jean had seen her leave and was concerned about the appropriateness of the situation. Jean spoke to Blake and he agreed that they'd speak to Mattie and Lawson about it.

Chapter 10 – Confrontations and consequences

* * *

As luck would have it, it was a full house at Blake's that afternoon. It was Jean's turn to host the sewing circle and she had invited a few of the women to lunch with her beforehand. Mattie's roster of calls had left her ample time to join them at the table although Blake could see from her face when she walked in on the crowd that she might have preferred to lunch out that day. He himself quite enjoyed listening in to the buzz of the various conversations around the table in part because it gave him ample time to observe Mattie and Lawson.

It hadn't escaped Blake's notice that the pair had ended up sitting beside each other. "Hardly surprising," thought Blake as he poured the milk for Jean's tea. "After all, neither of them are exactly interested in the latest advances in cross stitching!" From his vantage point at the far end of the table, Blake couldn't tell what they *were* talking about, but it seemed to be a pretty ordinary conversation. "Jean is overreacting," Blake finally decided. "They're friends, that's all."

* * *

The lunch was soon cleared away, Mattie went back to work, and Jean and the sewing circle set up in the living room. Blake saw Lawson about to retreat back to his room and approached him quickly.

"Ah, Matthew, could I have a quick word with you," said Blake with a smile. "It won't take long," he added as he guided Lawson down the hall.

"Everything all right?" asked Lawson as the study door closed behind them.

"Yes, yes," said Blake, as they both sat down. "I just wanted to speak to you..." Blake tried to think of a tactful way to say it. "It's about Mattie...well it's about you and Mattie...but mostly about Mattie...and you..."

"Mattie? What about her?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice, that is *Jean* noticed..." Blake faltered slightly as Lawson glared at him. "You seem to have been spending quite a lot of time together." Blake tried to phrase his words carefully, "In your room...at night. Now far be it from me to judge what two consenting adults get up to in private but..."

"You think I'm fooling around with Mattie O'Brien?" interrupted Lawson.

"No, no," said Blake hastily. "Of course not..." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "Are you?" He could see Lawson's jaw clench.

"And what if I was?" said Lawson, almost growling the words. "What business is it of yours? Or anybody else's for that matter?"

"Well Mattie is like a daughter to me," said Blake, "And besides, anything that goes on under my roof, *is* my business."

"Then maybe it's time I wasn't under your roof any longer." Lawson pushed himself up from the chair and headed for the door.

"Oh don't be like that," Blake caught up with Lawson at the door and pushed it shut again. "Please, sit back down." He gestured back towards the chair but Lawson didn't move. "Forgive me Matthew, but I'm just concerned, for your reputation...for *Mattie's* reputation. You know that Ballarat thrives on gossip. People will talk."

"Who will talk?" said Lawson, looking Blake straight in the eye. "Jean? She's the soul of discretion. And you only shoot your mouth off when you've got an ulterior motive like trying to bring down Patrick Tyneman. Or when you're drunk!"

"Well, yes," said Blake. "But you know what people have been saying about Jean and I, and without any evidence to back it up. I just don't want you and Mattie to be subjected to the same tittle-tattle and narrow-mindedness. Especially when there are no grounds for it."

Lawson sighed and allowed Blake to guide him back to the chair where he sat down heavily, "Mattie is a friend, that's all," he said finally. "I'm grateful to her for saving my life, and I've certainly enjoyed her company the last week or so. I am fond of her, but the last thing I want to do is damage her reputation."

"Then we both want the same thing," said Blake with an inward sigh of relief.

* * *

Jean's conversation with Mattie however, didn't go quite so smoothly.

Mattie had had a busy day, her calls had taken longer than she'd expected and she'd had to stay well past her scheduled finishing time in order to complete the required paperwork. "Serves me right for dawdling yesterday," she'd told herself with a wry smile. To top it all off, when she'd finally left the hospital, she'd found that one of her tires was flat. Fortunately one of the porters coming off duty had been able to change it for her, but all in all it had been a long day and Mattie was looking forward to a good meal, a few hours productive study and then a pleasant conversation with Matthew.

Jean had again kept Mattie's dinner warm for her. She waited until Mattie had finished eating and gone back to her room before following her and knocking on the door.

"Come in," said Mattie, who was seated at the small table in her room, a stack of books beside her. "Oh, hello Jean."

"I need to have a word with you, Mattie," said Jean.

Mattie looked up in surprise as Jean came in and closed the door behind her. "Is everything all right, Jean?"

"That depends," said Jean, trying to choose her words carefully. "On what you and Matthew are doing in his room together so late at night."

Mattie's jaw dropped.

"Now I know you're a responsible adult, and I know that young women nowadays are much more forward than when I was your age. But there are certain standards of behaviour that should be upheld, regardless of the circumstances. You have your reputation to consider, as does Matthew. And while Lucien doesn't care what people think about him, it could still reflect badly on him if he was seen to condone your behaviour."

"My behaviour?" Mattie was dumbfounded. "Jean, I don't know what you think is going on between me and Matthew, but we're just friends, that's all. Yes, I'm spending time with him most evenings, but that's because we like each other's company. And let's face it, with you and Lucien only having eyes for each other; he'd be on his own most nights if it wasn't for me!"

"Are you implying that we're neglecting him?"

"No, no," said Mattie, quickly as she tried to backpedal. "I just...I understand that you and Lucien want to spend time together. I just don't see what difference it makes to anybody outside of this household what's going on inside."

"Then you're even more naive than Lucien," snapped Jean. "Well I've said my piece, and if you're not concerned about your own reputation, then maybe you should think of other people's." She turned and left the room, leaving a dumbfounded Mattie behind her.

* * *

Lawson had returned to his room that evening with a heavy heart. He knew that Blake, damn the man, was probably right. A young woman spending time in a – not so young – man's bedroom; would find herself the source of gossip. It wouldn't matter that they were just friends...it wouldn't matter that nothing inappropriate was happening. People would talk and Mattie would suffer as a result, and Lawson was damned if he'd let that happen to a woman he cared that much about. No, the sooner he was fit to leave, the better for all concerned.

Lawson sighed heavily as he settled in for the evening. "I'm going to miss her," he thought as he tried to concentrate on the book he was reading. "Ever since that day at the hospital when I woke up and found myself looking into her eyes. She's been like a shining beacon, keeping me going through the dark times."

* * *

After Jean had left, Mattie sat in her room trying to study. Re-reading the same paragraph three times without retaining any of it, she finally closed the book in frustration. Glancing at the clock, she realised it was time for Matthew's cuppa and sighed heavily as she wondered what to do. On the one hand, she was a guest in Lucien's house, and if he and Jean felt that she was compromising her reputation by spending so much time with Matthew in his room, well, she knew they had her best interests at heart. On the other hand, and Mattie's stubborn streak started to assert itself, she was a grown woman; she had a right to choose how to spend her free time. And besides, thought Mattie as she stood, pushing back her chair. "Outside of these four walls, who else is going to know?"

Mattie resolutely tidied away her books before making her way to the kitchen. Jean was there, bustling around, preparing the tea tray.

"That's all right, Jean," said Mattie, "I can take it from here." She deliberately added a second cup to the tray before picking it up.

"On your own head be it," muttered Jean as Mattie walked away. She returned to the living room and sat down on the couch beside Blake, who put his arm around her.

"They're both adults," said Blake, pulling Jean close. "It's their decision and we should respect it." He could feel the tension leave Jean as she relaxed against him. "How about we focus on *our* relationship and leave Mattie and Matthew to their own."

* * *

"Is everything all right, Mattie?" asked Lawson as Mattie put the tray down so hard that the teacups rattled.

"Do you ever just wish that people would mind their own business and stop interfering in other people's lives?" Mattie saw the look on Lawson's face, "Oh no, don't tell me Jean had a go at you as well!"

"No," said Lawson, his face grim, "But Blake did. Practically asked me what my intentions were, regarding you."

"Why can't they just leave us alone," said Mattie, pacing up and down the room.

Lawson took her by the hand and stopped her in her tracks. "They only have your best interests at heart, Mattie." He gently guided her to sit down on the bed beside him. "And maybe they do have a point." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "I'll be going home soon, and perhaps that's for the best. You have your studies to think of after all."

"Oh," said Mattie, feeling her heart lurch. "That...that's nice...you...you must be looking forward to it."

"It'll be good to be under my own roof again," admitted Lawson. He cleared his throat, "These evenings we've been spending together...your friendship...I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"I do wish you didn't have to go," said Mattie, impulsively. She saw Lawson smile sadly and his arm found his way around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"I know," said Lawson, "But I'm sure we'll still cross paths."

Mattie pulled away slightly so that she could look him in the eyes, "I suppose," she said, hesitantly. "Just because we're not under the same roof...that doesn't mean we have to stop spending time together. That is, if you'd like to..."

"I think I'd like that...very much," said Lawson, softly.

Mattie reached out and gently stroked the side of his face. Lawson covered her hand with his, before turning it and kissing her palm. Lowering both their hands, he leaned in towards Mattie, slowly enough that she could have pulled away...if she wanted to. His lips brushed against hers, briefly, more like a caress from his lips than an actual kiss, and then he pulled away.

"I shouldn't have done that," said Lawson.

"No," said Mattie, smiling at him. "You should have done this..." She leaned towards Lawson and kissed him on the lips, gently at first but with increasing fervour as the seconds passed.

Mattie wasn't sure how long passed before Lawson broke contact with her, pulling away with a groan.

"Matthew?" said Mattie, opening her eyes, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"No," said Lawson, smiling ruefully. "Just wondering how smug Blake is going to look when I eat humble pie and tell him there *is* something going on."

Mattie put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, but sobered quickly, "And I'm going to have to apologize to Jean. I may have been a bit less than polite with her when she was lecturing me about the impropriety of being in your room unchaperoned."

"She means well."

"I know." Mattie sighed as she leaned against Lawson, her head resting on his shoulder. "I know."

* * *

It was with great reluctance that Mattie finally pulled away from Lawson some time later. "I really should go now."

Lawson was equally reluctant to let Mattie go, half afraid that she would slip through his fingers, now that they'd finally found each other. Standing, he walked her over to the door, still holding her by the hand. "You know," he said, kissing her gently on the lips. "By rights, I should be seeing you safely to your door."

"To protect me from ghoulies and ghosties and long legged beasties and things that go bump in the night?" asked Mattie with a smile. "Ever the policeman, always looking out for people, but I think the corridors of the Blake residence are safe enough to travel alone!

"Ever your friend, Mattie," said Lawson, suddenly serious. "Whatever happens or doesn't happen between us, I will always be your friend."

"And I, yours," said Mattie. They kissed again and then Mattie pulled away, "I should go...and you should stay put. We don't want to scandalise Jean more than we already have!"

"Goodnight Mattie," said Lawson.

"Goodnight Matthew," said Mattie.

* * *

Cheeks flushed, and lost in her own thoughts, Mattie almost didn't notice Jean who was standing disapprovingly in her bedroom doorway.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Mattie O'Brien," said Jean.

"Sometimes you just have a take a chance on things, Jean," said Mattie, her voice shaking slightly. "Maybe it won't work out, but if we don't try, we'll never know."

Jean's face softened, "You do care for him then?"

Mattie nodded, "More...more than I ever thought I could. Maybe...maybe nothing will come of it..."

"Well nothing is going to come of it in his bedroom!" Before Mattie could protest, Jean continued, "If you do want to spend time together, I'll air out the good parlour for you to use. Lucien and I won't disturb you if you want some privacy."

"Oh Jean!" Mattie hugged her impulsively.

"Now go to bed," said Jean. "You have work in the morning, and no matter how smitten you are, you can't shirk your responsibilities."

"I know," said Mattie, "And thank you Jean, for everything.

* * *

To be concluded


	11. A gift of fate

Title: An unexpected gift of fate 11/11  
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Author: Ceindreadh  
Type of Story: multi-part  
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien  
Pairings: Blake/Jean, Lawson/Mattie  
Rating: 15  
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance, friendship  
Word count: ~ 2,500  
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Jean and Blake spoke to Mattie and Lawson about their relationship with the unintended effect of motivating the pair to take things further.

Chapter 11 – A gift of fate

* * *

True to Jean's word, the good parlour had been opened up for them the next day. But as Mattie realised when she met Lawson there that evening, Jean was still in her own way trying to ensure that the proprieties were being observed.

"Look at it," said Mattie, as she put the tea tray down on the small table.

"Look at what?" said Lawson, a puzzled expression on his face as he closed the door behind Mattie.

"The chairs." Mattie indicated the seating arrangements. She'd noticed it as soon as she'd walked in the room. The table had been placed in front of the fireplace with a chair on either side.

"What about the chairs?" said Lawson, genuinely confused by Mattie's reaction.

"See how far apart they are," said Mattie. "Jean's moved them. You can see from the tracks in the carpet that they were closer together." She looked at Lawson, "Or did you move them?"  
Lawson shook his head, "More than my life's worth to start messing with Jean's housekeeping!" he said with a smile.

"Lucky for you, I'm made of sterner stuff than that!" said Mattie, moving towards one of the chairs. "But we'd better make sure they're back in their original places before we leave."

"I have a better idea," said Lawson. He put his arm around Mattie and pulled her back to the chair he'd been sitting in earlier while waiting for her. "It's strong enough for two," he added as he sat down. Mattie didn't resist as he pulled her onto his lap.

"Just don't make me spill my tea," said Mattie with a slight giggle as Lawson wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

There was little danger of that, as the tea grew cold before either of them remembered it was there.

* * *

Mattie was leaning against Lawson, her head resting on his shoulder when she felt him sigh heavily. "What's wrong?" she asked him softly.

"We can't keep doing this," said Lawson.

Mattie twisted in his arms and looked up at him, a worried look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Lawson kissed her gently on the forehead. "You should be in your room studying, not spending all evening with me in the parlour. When I move out, when I go back to work, you know it's not going to be as easy to spend as much time with each other, not like it is now."

Mattie relaxed against him. "I know," she said, half sighing. "And a part of me does wish you weren't going to be leaving so soon."

"Me too," said Lawson. "I am really going to miss Jean's cooking!" He smiled as Mattie slapped him gently on the arm but in truth, he too almost wished he didn't have to go. It was somewhat ironic that barely a week ago; he'd been worried that he'd never get a clean bill of health from Blake. Now he was almost hoping that he *wouldn't* be passed fit at his next check up.

* * *

"Well I must say, you've made an excellent recovery, Lawson," said Blake a few days later. "And I see no reason why you can't return home tomorrow as planned."

"And work?" Lawson buttoned up his shirt as Blake sat down behind his typewriter.

"If you'll just give me a minute," said Blake, "I'll type up my report clearing you for active duty." He glanced up at Lawson and smiled, "You'll be back in uniform and giving Charlie hell before you know it!"

Lawson still had mixed feelings about the prospect. On the one hand, a return to active duty, that was what he wanted. But on the other hand, it was going to be a wrench leaving Mattie behind, even if they had already made plans for future meetings.

With a flourish, Blake removed the sheet of paper from the typewriter and signed his name to it. "There you go," he said, handing it to Lawson, "A clean bill of health as certified by your Police Surgeon. I'll drop it in to the station this afternoon."

Lawson looked up from the page, "What the hell is this?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face. "You're recommending that I don't be assigned to active duty until the 8th...but that's over a week away!"

"As your physician," said Blake, choosing his words carefully, "I feel that you need a holiday before you go back to work."

"I don't need a holiday," snapped Lawson, "I've just spent the last three weeks doing nothing!"

"Well yes," said Blake, "Except that most of that time you've spent being worried about getting fit enough to get back to work."

"You said I was fine."

"Physically, you're fine," said Blake, "But Matthew, you need a break, a proper break where you're not worrying yourself sick about work. When was the last time you had a holiday?" There was no reply from Lawson, so Blake continued, "Consider it Doctor's orders. I won't reinstate you for another week and that's final."

Lawson sighed heavily, "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am. And you're forgetting the most important thing about this." He took the page back from Lawson. "You're going to have a bit more time to spend with Mattie. I have it on very good authority that she's hoping to go dancing next weekend."

"Don't suppose you could write me a sick note to get out of *that*?" said Lawson, with a half smile.

"Not a chance!" said Blake. "Having two left feet is not a recognized medical condition. But don't worry; I'll advise Mattie to wear sturdy shoes!" He put his arm around Lawson and guided him towards the study. "And now I think we should drink to your recovery."

"You mean drink to getting rid of an annoying house guest."

"Yes, there is that as well," said Blake, a smile on his face. "But seriously Matthew, it's been no annoyance at all."

* * *

Lawson stood at the door to Blake's house a few days later and hesitated momentarily. He quickly checked that his tie was straight and his hair smoothed down before reaching for the door, but hesitating again. "This is ridiculous," he told himself. "You've knocked on this door hundreds of times before. This shouldn't be any different." Steeling himself, he forced a smile on his face and knocked loudly on the door. The smile faded somewhat as the door opened to reveal Blake behind it.

* * *

"Ah, that must be Lawson," said Blake to himself. "Punctual as ever." Heading towards the front door, he called back down the hallway, "I'll get it Mattie."

"Lawson!" said Blake, smiling as he opened the door to his friend. Catching sight of the bunch of flowers held tightly in Lawson's hand, Blake added "Matthew, you shouldn't have!" as he held out his hand.

"I didn't," said Lawson, "They're for Mattie," he added, somewhat unnecessarily.

Blake tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. The last time he'd seen Matthew Lawson that nervous had been forty years earlier, just after their Latin teacher at Ballarat West had announced a surprise test. Blake took pity on him, "She's just putting the finishing touches to her outfit...or at least that's what Jean said about an hour ago! But I'm sure she won't be long. Come in to the kitchen and I'll get you a cup of tea while you're waiting..." Blake realized he might as well be speaking to himself. A smile had appeared on Lawson's face as he looked over Blake's shoulder and down the corridor.

"Mattie!" said Lawson, his voice gentle, "You look...beautiful..."

Blake turned to see Mattie approaching, a slight blush colouring her cheeks as she neared the two men. Blake had to admit that Lawson wasn't wrong in his assessment. He was accustomed to seeing Mattie in her nurse's uniform and casual clothes and more than once, he'd seen her dressed up for a special occasion. But tonight, it wasn't the dress that had transformed her. "No," thought Blake, "it was the look on her face when she looks at Lawson." He briefly wondered just how he could have been so oblivious, especially given the look on Lawson's face as he stepped forward to greet Mattie.

"These are for you," said Lawson, gruffly, as if embarrassed by his earlier reaction. He almost thrust the flowers at Mattie.

"Oh Matthew, they're lovely. Thank you," said Mattie, as she took them from him.

Lawson leaned forward as if to kiss her, then hesitated slightly, realising that it might not be altogether appropriate in front of Jean, who had followed Mattie down the hallway, and was now watching with an amused expression on her face. Finally, Lawson gave Mattie a quick clumsy peck on the cheek.

"I'll put these in water for you, Mattie," said Jean. "You two should get going if you don't want to miss the movie. Lucien, get Mattie's coat for her."

Blake took the coat down from its hook and was about to hand it to Mattie, when Lawson plucked it out of his hands. Blake watched with some amusement as Lawson carefully helped Mattie into the coat. "I do hope you'll have her home at a respectable hour," said Blake, as Lawson opened the front door. Jean smacked him on the hand as he added, "And no dilly dallying on the way home either!" He was pretty sure that neither Lawson nor Mattie were paying a blind bit of attention to anybody but each other. Even as Blake closed the door behind them, he could see Lawson take Mattie's hand as they walked to the car.

"What?" said Blake as he turned around to see Jean standing there with pursed lips.

"I do hope you're not going to give either of them a hard time about their friendship," said Jean.

"Me?" said Blake, an air of injured innocence. "I'm not the one who was worried about possible goings on under this roof. And besides, the way those two lovebirds were looking at each other, I think that 'friendship' is hardly an adequate description of their relationship!"

"And how would you describe *our* relationship?" asked Jean, quietly.

Blake was about to make a flippant remark when he saw the expression on Jean's face. He reached out and gently caressed Jean's cheek. "Forgive me, Jean. I...have this terrible habit...one of many...of taking people for granted. After my wife went missing, I swore that if I was fortunate enough to find her again, that I wouldn't let a day pass without telling her how much she meant to me.

Jean's face froze and she started to turn away, but Blake pulled her back and put his arms around her, "And then, when I found out she was dead...I swore that I would never make that same mistake again. That I would tell the people that matter to me, just how much they mean to me."

"Oh Lucien," said Jean, softly as she let her head rest against his shoulder.

"I love you, Jean Beazley," said Blake as he stroked her back, "So much so that I wake up some mornings afraid that I'll lose you too."

"You won't," said Jean, "Not if I have any say in the matter..." She gasped and then tried to push away from him. "Mattie's flowers. You're squashing them!"

"Ah my Jean," said Blake, "Always the practical one. What would I do without you?" He loosened his embrace enough for Jean to take a step back and then he took her free hand in both of his and kissed it gently. "Please don't ever let me have to find out..."

* * *

It was a cold crisp evening as Lawson and Mattie walked out of the movie theatre. Lawson's arm was around Mattie, ostensibly protecting her from the crush of the crowd, but in reality he was glad of the excuse to keep her close. Mattie was conscious of the fact that there'd been a few curious looks as she and Lawson had taken their seats earlier, and she knew that there would be a few tongues wagging that night in Ballarat. But she held her head high, knowing that neither she nor Lawson were doing anything to be ashamed of. Well, maybe one thing... "I just hope that nobody asks me too much about the movie," said Mattie with a slight laugh. "I don't think I was paying close enough attention."

"Me neither," said Lawson, a smile on his face as he squeezed her gently. "You are a very very distracting young woman! I can see I'll have to keep my eye on you in future."

"I won't mind that in the least," said Mattie.

The crowd from the movie theatre dispersed as they walked along, and in the relative silence of the street, it almost felt like they were only two people in the world. Neither of them were in any hurry for the evening to end so they took their time strolling back to the car hand in hand.

* * *

It wasn't until Lawson had pulled into Blake's driveway and was opening Mattie's door, that either of them realised just how late it was. "Oh no," said Mattie, looking at her watch in the moonlight. "The movie must have run over. It's terribly late." She took Lawson's hand as she stepped out of the car. "Lucien and Jean will be wondering where I am."

"You think Blake will be waiting by the door with a shotgun?" asked Lawson, not letting go of her hand as they walked towards the front door.

"I hardly think so!" said Mattie, "He knows I'll be safe with you."

"You're probably right. Besides, if he was, I'd have to charge him for holding an unlicensed firearm!"

"Matthew!" Mattie slapped him playfully on the arm. "Do you ever stop being a copper?"

"No, I don't," said Lawson, his voice suddenly serious as he stopped walking. "I may take off the uniform, but I never put down the badge. And you're the same, Mattie O'Brien. You may not wear a uniform every day, but you never stop being a nurse, you never stop trying to help people."

"We're two of a kind then," said Mattie, squeezing his hand.

"Being a policeman is in my blood and it always will be, like nursing is in yours." Lawson cleared his throat, "But being with you...for the first time in years, I'm starting to realize that it doesn't have to be the only thing in my life. Getting to know you like this," he added softly as he took both her hands in his, "It's like a gift I never expected...or deserved. And whatever happens between us, I'm grateful for it."

"Who'd have thought something good could come from a life threatening illness," said Mattie.

"I don't know where this relationship of ours is going, Mattie. I just know that I want to find out...with you..." Lawson leaned in and kissed her gently, his lips pressing against hers so smoothly that for a few seconds it felt like they were a single entity. .

Mattie had a smile on her face when they finally broke the kiss, "Then let's see where it takes us."

* * *

The end

(or maybe not!)


End file.
